Cooper Flagg leads a lot of new faces for Duke basketball, who are primed to make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Duke basketball.
Duke continues to ride their strategy that has led them to the top of the college basketball mountain for years: recruit the biggest names despite knowing they will only stay for a season. However, in addition to the outstanding freshman class, Jon Scheyer has dipped his foot in the transfer pool, something that Duke never did before his arrival.
Yes, Duke will be headlined by Cooper Flagg, as they should be. He is a generational talent who will have a long career playing basketball. Guys like Khaman Maluach and Kon Knueppel are also critical pieces of the recruiting class. However, some transfers could give Duke even more of an edge, as there are no growing pains like those from freshman that Duke fans are all too used to.
Maliq Brown is a huge get in Durham, as he was a critical piece of Syracuse hoops in his two years in New York. Mason Gillis is a nice role player, and Sion James and Cameron Sheffield had great careers at mid-majors that can hopefully translate off the bench at a powerhouse.
The ACC looks like it is a two-man race right now between bitter rivals UNC and Duke. There will be teams that emerge, but the two schools on Tobacco Road have first and second place to lose. Duke hopes that this season, the ACC runs through Durham, and they think they have the roster to do it.
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Head coach: Jon Scheyer (3rd season at Duke, 3rd season overall)
2023-24 record: 27-9 (15-5)
2024 postseason finish: Lost to NC State (76-64) in Elite 8 of NCAA Tournament
Notable departures:
- Jared McCain (14.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.9 APG)
- Kyle Filipowski (16.4 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.8 APG)
- Jeremy Roach (14.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 2.5 RPG)
- Mark Mitchell (11.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.1 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Kentucky (Nov. 12) (Atlanta)
- at Arizona (Nov. 22)
- vs. Kansas (Nov. 26) (Las Vegas)
- vs. Auburn (Dec. 4)
- vs. Illinois (Feb. 22) (New York)
Projected Rotation
PG: Tyrese Proctor (6-6, 183, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 10.5 PPG, 3.7 APG, 3.0 RPG, 42.3 FG%
SG: Caleb Foster (6-5, 202, So.)
2023-24 stats: 7.7 PPG, 2.4 APG, 2.1 RPG, 40.6 3P%
SF: Cooper Flagg (6-9, 205, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #1 ranked recruit
PF: Maliq Brown (6-9, 222, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 9.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 69.8 FG% (Syracuse)
C: Khaman Maluach (7-2, 250, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #6 ranked recruit
6: Kon Knueppel (6-7, 217, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #18 ranked recruit
7: Mason Gillis (6-6, 225 Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats 6.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 46.8 3P% (Purdue)
8: Sion James (6-6, 225, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 14.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, 51.4 FG%, 1.6 SPG (Tulane)
9: Cameron Sheffield (6-6, 204, Sr.)
Did not play in 2023-24 due to injury
2022-23 stats: 7.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 37.3 3P% (Rice)
10: Isaiah Evans (6-6, 175, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #14 ranked recruit
Duke Basketball team MVP: Cooper Flagg
This one should not be a surprise to anyone. Flagg is receiving hype unlike any incoming freshman we’ve seen recently. Duke has had an endless list of top recruits come in and dominate, but Flagg’s expectations and scouting grade are unlike anyone since at least Zion Williamson, possibly even before.
Flagg is a dynamic small forward, but “small” does not do his position much justice. He has length, athleticism, strength, and is creative with the ball. He scores from all three levels and defends up to five positions. Jon Scheyer has a generational talent on his hand, and for the single year he is presumably at Duke, he should be the headliner for a top-10 squad.
Duke Basketball make-or-break player: Khaman Maluach
Duke has a very strong freshman class that is a bit under appreciated due to Flagg’s hype. However, as always, the Blue Devils have one of the top classes in the country, with their second best recruit being Maluach. the 7’2″ center is Duke’s biggest player on the roster and will get a lot of minutes as the rim protector.
His offensive game does not need to be perfect by any means, however, having any sort of post threat down low is critical for a spread floor. Duke has had a lot of success in the past with great centers, and they hope Maluach can be the next one.
He and Syracuse transfer Maliq Brown will hold down the paint. However, Brown, who has been in the ACC for three years, will give exactly what is asked of him. Maluach on the other hand is a bit of a wildcard. A very raw but athletic big man, if he can settle into college ball quickly, it gives Duke another dimension on both sides of the floor that will make them very hard to match up with.
Key analytic: Bench points
Duke will have stars, there is no doubt about that, but what separates the good Duke teams from the champions is who steps up off the bench. There are a lot of teams in the college basketball world with five really good starters. Duke has run into the problem in the past where when a starter goes out, the drop off on production is drastic.
In no way does Duke need to expect Cooper Flagg production from Mason Gillis, that would be absurd. But, if their bench can keep them in games and allow the starters to not only rest each game but not burn out during a long season, this team will be scary in the postseason.
Duke Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 2nd in the ACC
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Final Four Exit