ACC Basketball Preview: Duke Blue Devils

Duke is coming off a 35-4 season, finishing 19-1 in conference play. The Blue Devils defeated North Carolina three times, captured both the ACC regular season and tournament titles, and advanced to the Final Four for the 18th time in program history. However, Duke lost to Houston 70-67 in a game where they held a nine-point lead with just over two minutes remaining.

Duke lost five players to the draft last season, including Cooper Flagg, Kon Kneuppel and Kahman Maluach were drafted in the Top 10 of the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 1 overall pick.

Jul 12, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on against the San Antonio Spurs in the second quarter of their game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Here's a preview of Carolina's biggest rival, the Duke Blue Devils.

2025 Recruiting Class

Duke secured the nation’s top-ranked high school recruiting class for the second straight year, a testament to coach Jon Scheyer’s tireless recruiting efforts since succeeding Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski. The Blue Devils landed the No. 2 recruiting class in 2023 before claiming the No. 1 spot in both 2024 and 2025.

Duke’s top additions in the 2025 class include Cameron Boozer, a five-star power forward and the son of former Blue Devils standout and NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer. The Blue Devils also added Dame Sarr, one of Europe’s most highly touted prospects, who arrives from FC Barcelona.

Name	Position	Rating	Hometown	School	Height	Weight
Cameron Boozer	PF	5-star	Salt Lake City, Utah	Columbus (FL)	6-9	250
Cayden Boozer	PG	5-Star	Salt Lake City, Utah	Columbus (FL)	6-4	205
Nikolas Khamenia	SF	5-Star	Los Angeles	Harvard-Westlake (Ca.)	6-8	215
Dame Sarr	SG/SF	5-Star	Oderzo, Italy	FC Barelona (Spain)	6-8	190
Sebastian Wilkins	PF	4-Star	Boston, MA	Brewster Academy (N.H.)	6-8	220

Projected Starting Lineup

PG Caleb Foster, Jr. (6-5, 207)

A former five-star prospect from the 2023 recruiting cycle, he gives the Blue Devils experience at the point guard position. He appeared in 38 games last season, averaging nearly five points per game on 14 minutes on average. After being a key rotational piece the last two seasons, he will have a much larger role in the offense.

SG Isaiah Evans, Soph. (6-6, 180)

UNC — Mar 27, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) reacts after a play during the first half against the Arizona Wildcats during an East Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Evans, a former consensus five-star prospect from Fayetteville, is one of the holdovers from Duke's top-ranked class last season. He averaged 6.6 points per game off the bench and shot 43.2 percent from the field.

Evans is known for his prowess as a sharpshooter, connecting on 62 of 149 attempts from long range to rank eighth among Duke freshmen in a single season with a .416 three-point shooting percentage. His 62 made three-pointers rank 10th on Duke's single-season list for freshmen.

SF Dame Sarr, Freshman (6-6, 180)

UK forward Olivier Sarr lays the ball up during the University of Kentucky basketball game against Notre Dame at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020. Kentucky Basketball Notre Dame | Mike Weaver/Special to Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Italian international was one of the top European prospects and will be elite athleticism, shooting and size and was rated as a five-star prospect by 247Sports. For the last three seasons, he was a part of FC Barcelona's system and was a member of its senior team last season.

In domestic play, he played 12.6 minutes per game while averaging nearly six points and 1.7 rebounds per game and shot 52.1% from the floor and 43% from three. In EuroLeague play, he shot 58% from the floor and 40% from three.

PF Cameron Boozer, Freshman (6-9, 250)

The son of former NBA All-Star and Duke legend Carlos Boozer, the consensus five-star prospect is projected to be a top-3 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Boozer is a three-time Florida Mr. Basketball and a two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year, making him only the second player to achieve that distinction after LeBron James.

Along with his twin brother Cayden, who also signed with Duke, he led Columbus High School to four consecutive state championships and a national title at the 2025 Chipotle Nationals.

Last summer, he posted averages of 20.4 points and 10.1 rebounds at the 2024 Nike Peach Jam. Boozer also participated in the FIBA U17 World Cup for the U.S. national team, where he led the team to the gold medal and earned MVP honors after averaging 20.1 points and 9.9 rebounds.

C Patrick Mgongba II, Soph. (6-11, 240)

Mar 29, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; XXXX in the East Regional final of the 2025 Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba II (21) shoots the ball against Alabama Crimson Tide forward Aiden Sherrell (22) during the second half tournament at Prudential Center. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Ngongba is expected to move into the starting lineup after serving as a key reserve last season. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 71.9 percent from the field on 2.1 attempts per game.

Like Evans, Ngongba returns as a holdover from Duke’s heralded 2024 recruiting class. A five-star prospect out of St. Paul VI Catholic High School (Fairfax, Va.), he was ranked as the nation’s No. 19 player and the top player in Virginia by both ESPN and 247Sports.

Off the Bench

Cayden Boozer, Freshman (6-4, 205)

UNC — Mar 31, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; McDonald’s All American East guard Cayden Boozer (2) prepares to shoot the ball during the Sprite Jam Fest at Barclay's Center. | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

Boozer arrives at Duke ranked No. 16 by ESPN and No. 23 by 247Sports in the 2025 recruiting class. He’s expected to be a key contributor off the bench and has a strong chance to log major minutes at point guard alongside the starters.

Maliq Brown, Sr. (6-9, 225)

Brown emerged as the quintessential glue guy for Duke last season. Although he posted modest stats with 2.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game off the bench, his defensive prowess set him apart as one of the team’s top stoppers. Brown’s ability to provide versatility and inject a new energy whenever he checked into the game gave the Blue Devils a valuable edge on both ends of the floor.

Nikolas Khamenia, Freshman (6-8, 215)

UNC — Mar 31, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; McDonald’s All American West forward Nikolas Khamenia (14) shoots the ball during the Sprite Jam Fest at Barclay's Center. | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

A five-star prospect out of Southern California, Khamenia was Duke’s second-highest-rated recruit in this class after Boozer. He’s expected to give the Blue Devils a lift off the bench with his playmaking and shooting ability.

Khamenia also brings valuable international experience, having earned his third gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2025 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup, where he averaged 9.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. His standout performance against Cameroon (July 1) included 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and five steals.

Mar 20, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis speaks at press conference during NCAA Tournament First Round Practice at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Rest of the Roster

Sebastian Wilkins | 6-8 | 215 | Fr.

Ifeanyi Ufochukwu | 6-11 | 240 | Sr.

Cameron Sheffield | 6-6 | 204 | Sr.

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