With the National Championship and NCAA Tournament now over, the Duke basketball program looks at how its roster will be built for the 2025-26 season. This offseason has the potential to be a wild one for the Blue Devils as many rotation guys have intriguing decisions to make regarding the NBA Draft, transfer portal, or returning to Duke for another year.
Before Scheyer and his staff have done anything in the portal, let's project the Blue Devils' 2025-26 starting five after predicting what offseason decisions every key rotation guy will make.
Also read: Predicting what every Duke rotation player's offseason decision will be
PG - Cayden Boozer - Freshman
Boozer is a four-star point guard coming into Durham next season and the brother of five-star Duke commit Cameron Boozer. The duo are also the twin sons of former Duke basketball legend Carlos Boozer. Now, Cayden Boozer isn't a shoo-in to be the starting point guard next season, but based on the potential that Duke could lose practically every piece of its backcourt this offseason, Boozer would be the only true point guard on the roster. Sion James is out of eligibility, Tyrese Proctor is more likely than not headed to the NBA Draft, and there's a good chance Caleb Foster hits the portal. Now, if Foster returns or Scheyer snags a point guard out of the transfer portal, this conversation could change. Boozer, a 6'4 205-pound point guard, is an excellent passer and displays great positional size and strength, fitting the mold of how Scheyer wants to build his rotation. Cayden recently dropped a game-high 27 points in the Chipotle Nationals championship game for Christopher Columbus High School.
SG - Isaiah Evans - Sophomore
If Evans decides to return to Durham next season, the former five-star recruit would be a great complement at the two-guard spot to Boozer. As a freshman, he established himself as one of the best shooters in the nation, connecting on 41.6% of his three-point attempts on 4.1 attempts a night. Evans' role this season was 3-and-D. 81% of his shot attempts this season and 78% of his makes came from beyond the arc, but an elevated role as a sophomore could boost Evans' 2026 NBA Draft stock drastically. The 6'6 sharpshooter is slotted as ESPN's #41 overall 2025 NBA Draft prospect, so there's a chance he declares. There have also been reports of heavy transfer portal interest for the wing if he decides to enter the portal. If Scheyer can get Evans back in a bigger role in 2025-26, the Blue Devils will have a backcourt of 6'4 at the point guard position and 6'6 at the shooting guard spot.
SF - Shelton Henderson - Freshman
At this moment in time, two incoming top-15 freshman could start at the three for Duke next season in Henderson and Nikolas Khamenia. Henderson is slotted here because he's a little bit further along defensively, and his length and versatility slightly outmatch that of Khamenia, at least right now. Khamenia is probably a better shooter than Henderson, but Henderson is further along athletically at this point and poses a bigger threat in transition with his ability to get downhill in a hurry. Khamenia would be a great spark off the bench with his shooting ability, and it would make sense to see both rookies playing similar minutes.
PF - Cameron Boozer - Freshman
Cameron Boozer comes in as Duke's most prized recruit in its 2025 recruiting class. The #3 overall prospect in his class, Boozer will assuredly be a day-one starter and will have tons of expectations coming into the 2025-26 college basketball season as he's viewed as one of the top 2026 NBA Draft prospects. Boozer recently led the McDonald's All-American game in rebounds and was the only player to secure a double-double in the game, notching 16 points and 12 rebounds in 23 minutes of action. At 6'9, Boozer is the best ball-handling big in his class and can take guards off the bounce from the perimeter. He's also one of the biggest winners high school basketball has seen in a long time. Boozer was named the 2025 Gatorade Florida Player of the Year and National Player of the Year, and the star recruit just brought home a national title with Cayden at the Chipotle Nationals. The twins attended Christopher Columbus High School (FL). Cameron tallied 11 points and eight rebounds in the win.
C - Patrick Ngongba II - Sophomore
As it looks right now, Ngongba II is the only true center on Duke's roster next season, assuming Khaman Maluach leaves for the NBA Draft, which is likely a guarantee. Ngongba didn't play much early on in the season as a freshman but provided really solid minutes for the Blue Devils at times after Maliq Brown began dealing with injuries. As a rookie, Ngongba averaged 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds a game in 10.6 minutes. He's got a lot of development to do in his college career, but coming back to Durham for a sophomore season could bode extremely well for his future. Ngongba displayed the ability to be a physical presence defensively inside and a great rim protector, along with showing his capability to run the floor in transition. If Duke does not add a center in the portal this season, the 6'11 sophomore should be set to start.
Before any of the transfer portal chaos kicks in, here's Duke's projected 2025-26 starting five. The program is also waiting to hear the commitment of five-star prospect Nate Ament, who is considering Duke.