Coming off an ACC regular season and Tournament victory, Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer is looking for his third conference crown in four seasons in Durham in 2025-26. After losing his entire starting five from last season's Final Four squad, Scheyer regrouped and built potentially the most talented roster in the nation. Headlined by 5-star big man Cameron Boozer, Duke is likely entering the season as the team to beat in the ACC. However, there are a few other squads that can pose issues for the Blue Devils, and this insider says Louisville is the team to watch for.
Jon Rothstein says Louisville can "challenge" Duke for ACC title
In a recent episode of Inside College Basketball Now, college hoops insider Jon Rothstein stated how Pat Kelsey's Cardinals are the biggest issue for Duke heading into this season.
"I don't know if there's a team in the sport that bolstered its perimeter like Louisville did," Rothstein said. "And you have to start with 5-star freshman Mikel Brown...Looking at the way this roster was constructed, I love the shooting that Louisville surrounded Brown with...There is nothing but shooters around Louisville...Louisville, on paper, looks like a team that can challenge Duke for an ACC regular season title and be a top-16 protected seed in the NCAA Tournament."
Duke will face Louisville twice next season, and both matchups are poised to be instant classics. Brown, the No. 1 point guard per the 247Sports 2025 Composite Rankings, is expected to be one of the most prolific rookie guards in college basketball next season. Kelsey also put in work in the Transfer Portal, adding several talented guys to complement his elite freshman. Ryan Conwell comes over from Xavier, who averaged 16.5 points per game a season ago. Kelsey also added great shooters in Adrian Wooley, who averaged 18.8 points per game at Kennesaw State on 42.2% shooting from three, and Isaac McKneely, a career 42.2% three-point shooter in three seasons at Virginia.
Louisville is also bringing back two of its top five scorers from a season ago in J'Vonne Hadley and Kasean Pryor.
The Cardinals are an experienced group with elite shooting, while Duke is a young and inexperienced squad oozing with potential. As the top two squads in the ACC heading into the 2025-26 campaign, the Blue Devils will need to mature and grow as a team quickly to compete with Louisville.