Duke’s Roster Is Built to Win It All

The Duke Blue Devils came into this season with Championship aspirations. This coaching staff, led by head coach Jon Scheyer, is a great one, and they also came into this season thinking about winning it all.

The coaching staff and some of the players from last year's team know how close they came to playing in the Championship game. Duke did not do a good job of closing out in the Final Four last season, and it cost them. This season, they want to make it back and have a different outcome.

Dec 16, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer (right) talks to guard Caleb Foster during the second half against the Lipscomb Bisons at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 97-73. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke Team is Built to Win it all

What would you think if I told you that this Duke team is better equipped to win it all than previous Duke teams? We all know that the Blue Devils do a great job of recruiting the best high school players and have great recruiting classes.

But we also know that the Blue Devils have not won a National Championship since 2015. That is a long time for a basketball program that is one of the best, if not the best one in the country. They want to have something to show off.

This is the year. This Duke team is off to a great start, and one that many did not see coming but them. Duke this season is built to go all the way differently. Duke not only has great young talent but also has leadership from players who came back this season, including upperclassmen who are making a huge difference this season. That is something Duke has not had in a long time. They are usually filled with players who are one-and-dones. Not this season.

bhbhj — Oct 3, 2025; Durham, NC, USA; Jayson Tatum, NBA Boston Celtics Player helps coach alongside Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer during the Countdown to Craziness at the Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

As much as those schools are successful in having the best one-and-done players. It has hurt them when it comes to tournament time and in March Madness. That is something you cannot teach, and the experience plays a huge factor for teams and coaches.

That is why Scheyer took all offseason to learn what happened in that Final Four game a season ago and learned. Now, he has the right roster to make the run of a lifetime, which, as a player, he made and knows what it takes.

It is not going to be an easy one for Duke because you never know what is going to happen from now to March, but they will have players now that have experience in March playing huge roles. Experience with young talent is going to take Duke all the way.

fewwe — Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on against the Florida Gators during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] | Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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