With the nation’s top recruiting classes, the Duke Blue Devils face sky-high expectations and are already ranked among the top teams for 2025.
Following the completion of the NBA Draft and the closure of the NCAA Transfer Portal, USA TODAY Sports has compiled its “too-early” college basketball team rankings for the 2025-2026 season. Despite a massive change in their roster construction, Duke remains among the top teams heading into next season due to their impressive freshman class, the incoming transfer of Ifeanyi Ufochukwu from Rice, and the return of what few veterans will be back in 2025.
Among USA TODAY Sports’ top-25 projected teams, the Duke Blue Devils ranked second, behind only the Houston Wildcats, who knocked off Jon Scheyer‘s squad in the Final Four of last season’s NCAA tournament. In their ranking breakdown, USA TODAY Sports staff mentioned both the many losses the team suffered this summer and the amount of talent expected to play in Durham this season.
“Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach are off to the NBA along with Tyrese Proctor, but Jon Scheyer put together another top recruiting class. Next year’s group will be led by wingers Cameron and Cayden Boozer, the twin sons of former Blue Devils star Carlos Boozer. Also arriving are guards Dame Sarr and Sebastian Wilkins. They’ll join several veterans who opted to return, including Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster.”
Notable teams from last season who debuted further down the list include Florida, Michigan State, and Auburn. All of these teams lost significant players this summer, not unlike Duke, but the Blue Devils’ continued ability to be a highly sought-after destination for recruits keeps them among the top teams in the early-season rankings.
The Boozer twins, Dame Sarr, Nikolas Khamenia, Sebastian Wilkins, there is so much talent coming into this season; fans should undoubtedly be excited by the team’s potential, though they should also be patient for the team to live up to expectations.
As with any team full of incoming freshman talent, the Blue Devils have plenty of theoretical potential, but they have yet to be proven. With the season still months away, it will be some time before this young team can show they belong atop the NCAA, but as these rankings show, they’re not without their believers in the meantime.