It's looking less and less likely by the day that star Washington State transfer guard Cedric Coward will suit up for the Blue Devils next season. After committing to Duke over Alabama, Coward said his focus remained on the NBA Draft, but there was hope that Jon Scheyer would have him in the lineup come 2025-26. But now, odds are Coward is headed to the NBA following a soar in his stock at the NBA Combine.
Let's take a look at the new projected starting lineup for the Blue Devils, assuming Coward will not be in Durham next year.
PG - Caleb Foster - Junior
Foster will have a revamped opportunity to break out onto the college basketball scene after a fairly disappointing sophomore season. After beginning the season as a starter, Foster was eventually sent to the bench in favor of Sion James, and almost fizzled out of the rotation completely for a good part of the second half of the regular season. The rising junior announced his return to Duke this offseason and will be a crucial backcourt piece for a Blue Devils team that lost Tyrese Proctor, James, Kon Knueppel, and Cooper Flagg. Foster averaged 4.9 points and 1.4 assists a game for Duke this past season.
SG - Isaiah Evans - Sophomore
Evans' decision to return to Durham was a huge deal for Scheyer after rumors of interest for the sharpshooter in both the transfer portal and the NBA Draft heated up. There was worry for a bit after the season, as after Evans announced his return to Duke, he then added his name to the 2025 NBA Draft early entry list. There was some confusion as the rising sophomore had already announced his return, but he recently withdrew his name from the draft and will come back to Durham. Evans has a chance to skyrocket his 2026 NBA Draft stock with an elevated role for Duke next season. A 3-and-D piece as a freshman, 81% of Evans' shots and 78% of his makes came from the perimeter. Now, Evans will have a chance to put his defensive capabilities on display as well as an increased offensive arsenal to gauge interest for next year's draft.
SF - Nikolas Khamenia - Freshman
Coward would almost definitely start at the three for Duke if he returned to college hoops, but assuming he doesn't, the five-star freshman will be thrust into the starting five. Khamenia is the #19 overall high school prospect per the 247Sports Composite Rankings, with a great ability to shoot it from deep and defend at a high level. The California native was a McDonald's All-American and will have a much more significant role if Coward does not end up at Duke. The Blue Devils are now in serious contention with international prospect Dame Sarr, but that's yet to be determined.
PF - Cameron Boozer - Freshman
Boozer is coming into college basketball as one of the most decorated high school recruits of the last decade. Ranked as the #3 recruit in his class by 247Sports, Boozer was a McDonald's All-American and tallied the only double-double in the game with 16 points and 12 boards. He, along with his twin brother and fellow Duke commit Cayden Boozer, led Columbus (FL) to a Chipotle Boys National Championship this past season. Seen as one of the top names heading into the 2026 NBA Draft, Boozer is poised for a huge season with the Blue Devils.
C - Patrick Ngongba II - Sophomore
The Blue Devils picked up center Ifeanyi Ufochukwu via the portal, but outside of Ngongba, no other center on the roster has played significant minutes for a Power Five program. Ngongba missed a good portion of his rookie campaign with injury, but showed flashes of his ability to protect the rim and run the floor in transition. His offensive game is still extremely raw and will have to be developed through the summer, but his defensive capabilities are certainly there. Ngongba averaged 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds as a freshman.