Duke basketball roster breakdown: Starting lineup prediction, bench rotation, depth outlook for 2024-25

The Blue Devils are fortified by the nation's No. 1 recruiting class entering Jon Scheyer's third season

By David Cobb Aug 6, 2024 at 2:59 pm ET• 4 min read

Duke finished with the same record in Year 2 under Jon Scheyer as it did in Year 1 (27-9). But the Blue Devils made strides by reaching the Elite Eight after flaming out in the second round of the NCAA Tournament during Scheyer's debut campaign. Now, Scheyer brings his most-hyped team yet into his third season as the replacement for the legendary Mike Krzyzewski.

That may not be fair for a team that returns only two players who logged regular minutes last season, but it's the reality for a program that landed the nation's No. 1 recruiting class. Duke's six-man freshman haul is headlined by No. 1 overall prospect Cooper Flagg, and the roster has been constructed to maximize Flagg's impact.

The only scholarship player with more than one year of experience in a Duke uniform is junior guard Tyrese Proctor, meaning Scheyer will face a challenge in building cohesion. While Duke is young, it did add some veteran muscle via the transfer portal. Transfers Sion James (Tulane), Mason Gillis (Purdue) and Maliq Brown (Syracuse) are each multi-year college players who will play complementary roles and bring leadership.

As college basketball's offseason player movement cycle stops, it's time to start breaking down the rosters of the sport's top programs. For this installment, we're taking a look at the Blue Devils and trying to decipher what their lineup could look like when the season begins.