After losing all five of its starting players from the previous season, Duke basketball is reloading with experience.

Duke Reloads with Talent and Experience for 2025-26 Season

The Duke Blue Devils are reloading in a big way, combining fresh talent with veteran presence to stay competitive after losing their entire starting five from the 2024–25 season.

All five starters—Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, and Khaman Maluach—have declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, while Sion James, who exhausted his college eligibility, is also likely to hear his name called on draft night. With so much production and leadership gone, head coach Jon Scheyer entered the offseason facing tough decisions and major roster questions.

But with the transfer portal closed and roster movement settling, the outlook in Durham is bright.

Key returnees Caleb Foster, Maliq Brown, Darren Harris, Patrick Ngongba II, and Isaiah Evans (who is exploring the draft process but remains eligible to return) provide a strong foundation. Duke also landed one of the portal’s top guards in Washington State transfer Cedric Coward, adding veteran poise to the backcourt.

Combine those pieces with Duke’s No. 3-ranked 2025 recruiting class (per 247Sports), and the Blue Devils are poised to field a lineup that’s both skilled and experienced.

Projected 2025–26 Duke Starting Lineup:

• Caleb Foster – Junior

• Isaiah Evans – Sophomore

• Cedric Coward – Senior

• Cameron Boozer – Freshman

• Patrick Ngongba II – Sophomore

Key Bench Contributors:

• Cayden Boozer – Freshman

• Maliq Brown – Senior

• Nikolas Khamenia – Freshman

• Darren Harris – Sophomore

• Cameron Sheffield – Senior

This mix of returners, transfers, and elite recruits gives Duke one of the deepest, most balanced rosters in the nation. Scheyer is sticking with a formula that worked last year: length, versatility, and defensive pressure. Remarkably, 6-foot-4 Caleb Foster is the shortest player in the projected rotation, ensuring Duke’s size advantage remains intact.

Coward has already voiced his enthusiasm about joining the program, and with the offseason overhaul nearly complete, the Blue Devils are built for another deep NCAA Tournament push in 2026. In the current college basketball landscape, experience and cohesion often trump raw talent—and Duke has the best of both worlds.