Duke Basketball Sits High in Latest Projected Top 25

Jon Scheyer's fourth Duke basketball roster appears at No. 3 in On3 bracketologist James Fletcher III's updated top 25 college basketball rankings released on Monday morning.

That marks a considerable jump from the 2025-26 Blue Devils' placement either just inside or outside the top 10 in many "way-too-early" projected rankings elsewhere before Scheyer and his crew secured two more heralded 2025 recruiting prizes late last week in four-star power forward Sebastian Wilkins and five-star Italian wing Dame Sarr.

Set to return six scholarship players from last season's 35-win squad while adding at least two projected deep reserves via the transfer portal along with five highly touted freshman talents, Duke now stacks up below only No. 1 Houston and No. 2 Purdue in On3's eyes.

"Duke has a clear plan under head coach Jon Scheyer to surround talented freshmen with a specific mold of veterans from the transfer portal," Fletcher noted in his Blue Devil outlook. "That vision is clear again with top-ranked prospects helped by returning talent and role players who bring length and defensive intensity."

His projected top 25 includes only two other ACC teams.

Louisville pops up at No. 12. And the third is Duke's archrival, UNC, featuring only one key returner in rising senior guard Seth Trimble but still hanging on at No. 24.

The Blue Devils have been preseason No. 1 in the AP Top 25 Poll nine times since 1978. They tipped off Scheyer's first three campaigns at No. 7, No. 2, and No. 7, respectively.

Stay tuned to Duke Blue Devils On SI for more Duke basketball offseason news.