After the Duke basketball program landed a commitment from one of the top guards in the transfer portal, Cedric Coward, the Blue Devils now look to have one of the best defensive squads in the nation again. Coward will likely start and shake up the last projected 2025-26 starting five for Duke.
Let's take a look at the new projected starting five for the 2025-26 Blue Devils after the addition of Coward.
PG - Caleb Foster - Junior
Foster will have a second chance to break out onto the college basketball scene after a fairly disappointing sophomore campaign. After coming into last season as one of the top breakout candidates around the sport, Foster never really lived up to those expectations. He began the season as a starter, but was later benched in favor of Sion James. Throughout the second half of the regular season, Foster continued to see his minutes decrease. However, he made his way back into the rotation through the ACC and NCAA Tournaments, and ultimately decided to run it back in Durham. The 6'4 guard is a talented defender and has the potential to be a great three-point shooter. Foster backtracked in that regard in 2024-25, shooting 34.2% from beyond the arc as a sophomore after shooting 40.6% as a freshman. The North Carolina native averaged 4.9 points and 1.4 assists a night on 41.7% shooting from the floor as a sophomore and is looking to revive his NBA Draft stock as an upperclassman.
SG - Isaiah Evans - Sophomore
Evans put his name in the NBA Draft early entry list after announcing his return to Duke next season, but it still seems much more likely the sharpshooter will return to Durham as opposed to head to the NBA. Most metrics see Evans as a mid-second-round pick, with slight first-round buzz. Unless the NBA Draft Combine goes exceptionally well for the former five-star recruit, a return to college seems like the best way to go. If Evans does return to Duke next season, he will be in a much more elevated role to skyrocket his 2026 NBA Draft stock into potential lottery consideration. As a freshman, Evans was purely a 3-and-D guy. 81% of his shot attempts and 78% of his makes last season came from beyond the arc, and the opportunity to show his skill in other areas of the floor will do wonders for Evans in terms of the 2026 draft. Evans averaged 6.6 points per game on 41.6% shooting from the perimeter on 4.1 attempts a game last season.
SF - Cedric Coward - Senior
Coward is also considering the 2025 NBA Draft, and there's much more of a realistic scenario for him to stay in the draft as opposed to Evans. However, if Duke can get him back to college next season, Coward will be an elite addition on both sides of the ball. He only played six games at Washington State last season due to injury, but performed in all aspects of the game in the small sample size. The senior averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 blocks a game on 55.7% shooting from the floor, 40.0% shooting from three, and 83.9% from the free throw line. He's elite in transition and can post up down low while also being a spectacular catch-and-shooter. He's got great defensive instincts as well, and would be one of the best stories in college basketball next season if he elects to return to Duke, as Coward began his collegiate career at Division III Willamette University. Coward is the #14 overall transfer and #5 shooting guard per the On3 Transfer Portal Industry Rankings.
PF - Cameron Boozer - Freshman
The five-star recruit is coming into Durham as one of the most decorated high school prospects in recent memory. Boozer became the first player to win Mr. Basketball USA twice since LeBron James and led his high school team, Columbus (FL), to a Chipotle Boys National Championship this past season. In his senior season of high school, Boozer averaged 22.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.5 blocks a game. He also tallied the only double-double in the McDonald's All-American game with 16 points and 12 boards in 23 minutes of action. The #3 overall prospect in the 247Sports Class of 2025 Composite Rankings is seen as one of the top 2026 NBA Draft prospects and will be a day one starter for the Blue Devils come next season.
C - Patrick Ngongba II - Sophomore
Ngongba II struggled to see minutes for most of the season as a freshman as he recovered from injury, but he put his talent on display late in the season for the Blue Devils and will be a huge defensive piece of the squad next season. He showed great instincts as a rim protector and the ability to run the floor in transition at 6'11. The Virginia native is the only true center on Duke's roster next season after Khaman Maluch declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, so he and Maliq Brown will likely split minutes at the five spot, making the duo one of the best defensive big duos in the country. Ngongba needs to develop his offensive arsenal this offseason to contribute more on that end, but his defensive prowess is already there. As a freshman, Ngongba averaged 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds a game in 10.6 minutes of action.
Jon Scheyer has already scheduled three marquee non-conference games for the Blue Devils next season. Duke will open up the season against Texas on a neutral floor, face Michigan State in East Lansing next December, and play Michigan on a neutral floor in February. All of these teams are projected to be top 25 squads, and Scheyer is giving his guys several tests before ACC play begins next year.