Duke Thriving in Offseason While UNC Falling

The Duke Blue Devils' offseason is nearing its completion in terms of additions and departures, and it could not have been much more of a success.

Head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff employed a different strategy this offseason than the Duke program has routinely followed over the last decade and change, prioritizing continuity and veteran leadership over raw talent. As a result, Scheyer likely has the deepest team he's had at Duke heading into 2026-27.

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

However, the same can't be said about North Carolina. After letting go of head coach Hubert Davis, the Tar Heels brought in former NBA Champion Michael Malone. As most head coach firings do, it resulted in a wave of portal exits.

UNC has lost eight of its top ten scorers from a season ago, including Henri Veesaar, a player many believed could return to Chapel Hill next season.

Apr 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reacts towards referee Danielle Scott (87) in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

As it currently stands, Duke is having a vastly more successful offseason than its arch rival.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) dribbles the ball as UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) defends 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's Offseason Couldn't Have Been Much Better

The Blue Devils brought in two high-profile transfer portal additions: former Belmont forward Drew Scharnowski and former Wisconsin star John Blackwell.

As a sophomore with the Bruins this past season, Scharnowski averaged 10.7 points and 1.3 blocks per game en route to earning First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference and MVC All-Defensive Team honors. Blackwell established himself as one of the best scorers in college basketball, averaging 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals a game on 43.0% shooting from the field and 38.9% shooting from three on 7.3 attempts.

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

Additionally, the Blue Devils returned Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr, Patrick Ngongba, and Sebastian Wilkins, marking four of their top six scorers from a season ago. Add in the No. 1 overall 2026 recruiting class, and Duke looks ready to run the ACC once again.

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) bites his jersey against the VCU Rams in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

UNC's Offseason

Where Duke has gotten a ton of production back, UNC has dealt with many departures. The Heels have lost eight of their top ten scorers from a season ago, as well as 5-star guard Dylan Mingo. However, Malone has done some solid work in the transfer portal.

UNC currently owns the No. 5 portal class per 247Sports, headlined by Neoklis Avdalas (No. 2 combo guard in portal), Terrence Brown (No. 45 overall player in portal), and Matt Able (No. 46 overall player in portal).

Mar 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown (2) calls a play against the Baylor Bears during the first half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Malone and his staff have landed some talent, but there are just so many question marks around the Heels' ceiling heading into 2026-27, especially following the loss of Veesaar to the NBA Draft. Duke is thriving through the offseason, but UNC is still trying to piece things together.

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