CBS Sports college basketball writer Isaac Trotter released his biggest storylines ahead of the 2025-26 college basketball season, and the Duke Blue Devils are all over the list, as the program is seen as a perennial national title contender next season. However, Trotter doesn't seem to be too sold on the Blue Devils and their national championship odds.
A section of Trotter's piece features the schools with the highest odds to win the national title, and whether fans should buy, pass, or sell at the number. Trotter says fans should sell on Duke's 11-1 odds to win it all.
"Sell. I just can't get there at this price because of the reservations at lead guard," Trotter said. "Can Caleb Foster find his groove? I'm hopeful, but we still need to see it. Is Cayden Boozer ahead of schedule? I have too many super important qualms to bite at this number. Let's revisit in December."
This is the same position that many analysts around the nation are taking on the Blue Devils for 2025-26. The statement "but we still need to see it," seems to come up again and again with this squad, and for good reason. This Duke basketball roster is built on star potential, not proven production. The rotation is littered with guys that most around the sport think will be fantastic players or take huge jumps next season, but none of it has actually happened yet.
It's interesting to look at the national title betting odds and compare them to preseason top 25 rankings when taking a look at Duke. Jon Scheyer's club has the third-highest odds to win the national championship according to the betting markets, but was ranked No. 12 in ESPN's most recent preseason top 25. Doesn't add up.
Nonetheless, it's perfectly understandable not to immediately get on the Duke hype train for 2025-26. Incoming five-star freshman Cameron Boozer is the most sure thing on the roster and will be a superstar one-and-done, similar to Cooper Flagg. However, outside of him, this team is littered with question marks.
Trotter said it perfectly: "Let's revisit in December." It's near impossible to tell how good these Blue Devils will be before they get some time on the court, due to how new and young this squad is. After going through potentially the toughest non-conference schedule in the country, fans and analysts will know if the Blue Devils are truly contenders or pretenders.