Jon Scheyer has consistently built loaded rosters at Duke, particularly over the last two seasons. The Blue Devils have gone 70-7 in the last two years, a record that shouldn't be forgotten, even with disheartening NCAA Tournament collapses ending each.
But imagine for a second there was a world where the NBA Draft didn't allow early entrants and you had to be in college for four years before making the jump to the next level. Scheyer would certainly have no use for the Transfer Portal because Duke's organic growth through recruiting would be more than good enough.
There would be no worry for next season about freshmen faltering on the big stage; Duke would have a veteran roster oozing with talent, one that would include the last two National Player of the Year winners.
Duke fans wouldn't be waiting on pins and needles for decisions from Isaiah Evans, Patrick Ngongba, or Dame Sarr right now.
Duke's projected 2026-27 roster without NBA Draft early entrants
PG: Jared McCain (Sr.), Cayden Boozer (So.), Deron Rippey Jr. (Fr.)
SG: Kon Knueppel (Jr.), Isaiah Evans (Jr.), Caleb Foster (Sr.)
SF: Cooper Flagg (Jr.), Dame Sarr (So.), Bryson Howard (Fr.)
PF: Cameron Boozer (So.), Cameron Williams (Fr.)
C: Khaman Maluach (Jr.), Patrick Ngongba (Jr.)
GGs to everyone else out there. That team is going 40-0 and winning the National Championship.
There would be no concern about guard play on this roster. A senior Jared McCain would be lethal, with younger players like Cayden Boozer and Deron Rippey Jr. able to come off the bench and take some of the workload off him.
And Duke could also easily run the offense through both Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer, as it often did during both of their spectacular freshman seasons in Durham.
A junior Kon Knueppel might shoot 60% or better from three-point range. He'd probably average 20 points per game on only seven or eight shot attempts a night. The Charlotte Hornets rookie has already emerged as one of the best shooters in the NBA; imagine him next year with a shorter three-point line.
Khaman Malauach and Patrick Ngongba would be interchangeable at the five spot, while Boozer, Cameron Williams, and even Flagg could fill in and play small-ball five if needed.
There would be little pressure on Duke's trio of five-star freshmen - Rippey, Williams, and Howard - to contribute next season on this roster. They could take their time developing.
As is, all three could be pivotal players for the Blue Devils next season.
In an alternate reality somewhere, the above Duke team would be running roughshod on the country in about seven months.