Duke Basketball Still Being Underrated Despite Stellar Offseason

Some insiders seem to be too low on the Blue Devils heading into the season.

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer speaks with the media during a press conference ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

It may only be June, but preseason rankings for the 2026-27 college basketball season are already in full swing.

It's common knowledge at this point that the Duke basketball program will enter the 2026-27 campaign as a heavyweight national title contender, and potentially the best team in the sport.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on against the UConn Huskies in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Blue Devils are the deepest team in the nation heading into next year and have as complete a roster as any team in college basketball.

For most, it seems to be a two-horse race between Duke and Florida for which team will enter next year as the No. 1-ranked squad, but the Blue Devils were just brutally disrespected in these rankings.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) shoots past UConn Huskies forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Duke Basketball Way Too Low in Latest Preseason Top 25 Rankings

Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney recently released his way-too-early top 25 rankings, and the Blue Devils were slotted all the way down at No. 6, ranked behind Florida, Michigan, UConn, Illinois, and Texas, respectively.

"There’s no Cameron Boozer or Cooper Flagg on this Duke roster, but also no signs that the Blue Devils are taking any steps back talent-wise," Sweeney said of Duke.

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer stands on the court during a practice session ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

"The Blue Devils once again have a loaded high school class (PG Deron Rippey Jr. headlines things) dipped into the portal for Wisconsin star guard John Blackwell, went international for intriguing long-term talent Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, and retained key pieces like Patrick Ngongba II and Cayden Boozer. The depth here is outstanding, even if there isn’t a surefire superstar like there was the last two years."

Now, it's an open question whether Duke is the best team in college basketball heading into the season, but No. 6 is drastically low.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) reacts after a play against the UConn Huskies in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Duke Basketball a Top-Three Team in College Hoops Heading Into 2026-27 Season

The Blue Devils boast talent, continuity, and veteran leadership, along with a rotation that could go 10 or 11 deep if Scheyer and Co. elected to do so.

It starts with Duke returning three starters in Patrick Ngongba, Caleb Foster, and Dame Sarr, along with rotation guard Cayden Boozer and redshirt freshman Sebastian Wilkins. The program also brought in two high-profile transfers in Blackwell and Drew Scharnowski.

On top of that, Scheyer and Co. inked the No. 1-ranked high school recruiting class for a third straight year, headlined by three 5-star prospects.

Mar 31, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Cameron Williams (1) during the McDonalds All American Boys Game at Desert Diamond Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Duke's depth is extremely impressive, but what is also a major factor is how well this team complements each other, at least on paper.

Blackwell will be the club's go-to guy offensively as a career 44% shooter from the field and a career 37% shooter from three-point range. The 6'4" guard averaged over 19 points per game on 43% shooting from the field and 38.9% shooting from three on 7.3 attempts a night last season with Wisconsin. An All-American senior year is firmly in the cards.

On the offensive side of the ball, Blackwell is surrounded by the best supporting cast in the country, with guys who impact the game in so many ways but also don't need the ball in their hands.

TCU Horned Frogs guard Tanner Toolson (55) rebounds near Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) March 21, 2026 during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round East Region game at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Foster will be the ringleader offensively, and Cayden Boozer and Deron Rippey Jr., coming off the bench, give Duke likely the deepest backcourt in college basketball. Down low, Duke has three elite two-way big men in Ngongba, Scharnowski, and Boumtje Boumtje.

All three are extremely talented passers for big men and can defend the rim at a high level. Duke will once again be one of the biggest teams in the sport next season, and this roster could give Scheyer the best defensive unit he has had in Durham.

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer watches down court Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game against the Siena Saints at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan is bringing in a slew of talent, but is losing all of what was the most dominant frontcourt in the nation last season with Morez Johnson, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Aday Mara. Texas is bringing back Matas Vokietaitis, but the starting lineup will be largely made up of newcomers. The Longhorns' success is based on these newcomers making jumps, jumps these Blue Devils have already made.

Placing Florida as the top team heading into the 2026-27 campaign is completely valid, as the Gators have a starting five compiled entirely of returners. However, Duke boasts more upside, depth, and talent than all other teams ahead of it.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Braeden Carrington (0) and guard John Blackwell (25) react during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the High Point Panthers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Blue Devils should be inside the top three of every preseason rankings list this offseason. Granted, preseason rankings are essentially just ranking the best rosters on paper, but Duke's is among the elite.