Duke and UNC Fighting Opposite Battles With Transfer Portal

The chaos of the NCAA Transfer Portal affects teams in different ways, and it's got Duke and North Carolina on completely opposite sides of the spectrum.

As two of the most storied programs in college basketball history, recruiting has normally been a major strength for both. For Duke, that's remained the same over the past few years, but not so much for the Tar Heels.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen 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

Now, a week into the entry period being open for the portal, the Blue Devils and Tar Heels are being dealt their cards in completely opposite ways. As a result, both programs are handling completely opposite offseasons.

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

UNC's Offseason

It all began with the firing of head coach Hubert Davis following the 2025-26 campaign, which, as in most cases, became the foreshadowing to a portal exit frenzy.

The Tar Heels brought in former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone in a bit of a surprising, but intriguing, move amid the new NIL era in college athletics.

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Derek Dixon (3) dribbles the ball against the VCU Rams in the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

So far, UNC has lost seven players to the portal, namely Luka Bogavac, Derek Dixon, and Jonathan Powell. It has also lost star rookie Caleb Wilson to the NBA Draft, Seth Trimble to graduation, and 5-star guard Dylan Mingo, who recently reopened his recruitment. All in all, North Carolina has currently lost eight of its top 10 scorers from this past season.

However, there have been some positives. The Heels are returning Jarin Stevenson and have made a big-time portal pickup in Virginia Tech transfer Neoklis Avdalas, a 6'9" guard who averaged 12.1 points and 4.6 assists a night on 38.6% shooting as a rookie with the Hokies.

Mar 7, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies guard Neoklis Avdalas (17) shoots the ball over Virginia Cavaliers guard Sam Lewis (5) in the first half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

UNC has also reportedly been in the mix for other top portal talents such as Juke Harris from Wake Forest, who finished third in the ACC in scoring last season at 21.4 points per game.

The Tar Heels have dealt with all kinds of movement thus far through the offseason. Duke has been much quieter.

Mar 21, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba (21) handles the ball against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Duke's Offseason

The Blue Devils lost sophomore Darren Harris and freshman Nik Khamenia to the portal, but outside of that, not much more has taken place. Rather, Jon Scheyer and his staff are awaiting several monumental decisions from the 2025-26 squad.

Isaiah Evans, Patrick Ngongba, Dame Sarr, Cayden Boozer, and Caleb Foster are mulling whether to return to Durham, depart via the portal, or declare for the NBA Draft. So through one week, there hasn't been much movement on the Blue Devils' side.

Mar 20, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) shoots against California Baptist Lancers forward Jonathan Griman (8) in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Duke has been in the mix for some top transfers, such as Flory Bidunga, but missed out on the key big man. The Blue Devils do remain heavily in the mix for John Blackwell.

All in all, the Blue Devils look very similar to the way they did a week ago, but the same can't be said for the Tar Heels.

Feb 28, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) throws a pass around Virginia Cavaliers center Ugonna Onyenso (33) to teammate Patrick Ngongba II (21) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke won 77-51. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Although, Duke could be in a similar position eventually if most of its key contributors leave. There is much to be figured out for both programs, but the two are dealing with completely separate kinds of chaos.

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