Is it too early to start a thread on roster predictions for next seasons roster?
- Thread starter DukeGuru
- Start date
I just want to reiterate what I initially posted at the start of this thread.
Harris = Transfer
Sarr = NBA
Evans = NBA
Pat = NBA
Cam Boozer = NBA
Cayden = Transfer (Miami?)
Nik = Transfer (especially if Cayden is gone, they are best friends)
Maliq = Graduation/NBA
Caleb = Transfer 50%
Jack Scott = Graduation
Cam Sheffield = Graduation
Iffy = Graduation
Wilkens = Transfer
35-3 elite 8 team returning zero players for next year is shaping up to be a disaster. I can only hope that we get older and really use the portal to our advantage. I think bringing in 2 great freshmen is still needed but the teams who have won a title the past 5 seasons or so have been reliant on seasoned upperclassmen. OAD approach may officially be dead.
Harris = Transfer
Sarr = NBA
Evans = NBA
Pat = NBA
Cam Boozer = NBA
Cayden = Transfer (Miami?)
Nik = Transfer (especially if Cayden is gone, they are best friends)
Maliq = Graduation/NBA
Caleb = Transfer 50%
Jack Scott = Graduation
Cam Sheffield = Graduation
Iffy = Graduation
Wilkens = Transfer
35-3 elite 8 team returning zero players for next year is shaping up to be a disaster. I can only hope that we get older and really use the portal to our advantage. I think bringing in 2 great freshmen is still needed but the teams who have won a title the past 5 seasons or so have been reliant on seasoned upperclassmen. OAD approach may officially be dead.
MY BOLD PREDICTION: Carlos Boozer joins the coaching staff and Both twins come back for one more year... "thursday 4-9-26 @ 6:10 am CT"
It's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off for 'em.
For coaches, there is no more building a program. There is only one season to build a roster to try to win. Its apparent that success means nothing, money received for the previous year means nothing, loyalty is gone. All players care about is the next gig. Its got to be exasperating for coaches. The chaos and uncertainty of what your team will look like the next year. Multiple teams are facing mass portal defections, even having had great seasons. Even the blue bloods are now under the spell of the portal and NIL...its the destruction of CBB from the inside...the frog in boiling water analogy comes to mind....
Agree with this, but I think we all need to be very careful as to not hold grudges against the kids. I don't blame them for grabbing the money, especially when it's like apples hanging from a tree. They just pluck the one they think is best.
I know contracts aren't the fix, but they can't be worse than what we have in place right now. Isn't there also a rule in place now, or coming soon, that also says a kid can only transfer once without sitting out a year?
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I would fully support that rule! I don't blame the players at all for chasing the money, but it's a little crazy that some of these guys play for 4 different schools in 4 years!
There is already talk about this being challenged in court....and we all know how that ends....we are living the result of lawsuits today
It might be a bit of a rebuilding year, but I think college basketball overall will be somewhat weaker next season overall and with the talent Duke has coming back if they add a couple more key pieces Duke will be a top 5-10 team along with Michigan, Louisville, Illinois, AZ, hopefully UCLA, and a few others.
As of this morning my opinion the roster for next year will be:
Guards:
Rippey
Boozer
Foster
Wings:
Sarr
Howard
PF/4’s:
Williams
Wilkins
Center:
Ngongba
Meyer
I feel Duke will still need to add another Center and possibly another 3/4 from the portal. It will be more then likely a mid level portal player similar to James/Brown. I don’t believe they will target any high end portal since the core roster should be set.
Right now going into the season I would project a starting 5 as but could change once practice started. (Right now going will experience over projected talent)
Boozer
Foster
Sarr
Williams
Ngongba
Would take that in a heartbeat.
LFG
Guards:
Rippey
Boozer
Foster
Wings:
Sarr
Howard
PF/4’s:
Williams
Wilkins
Center:
Ngongba
Meyer
I feel Duke will still need to add another Center and possibly another 3/4 from the portal. It will be more then likely a mid level portal player similar to James/Brown. I don’t believe they will target any high end portal since the core roster should be set.
Right now going into the season I would project a starting 5 as but could change once practice started. (Right now going will experience over projected talent)
Boozer
Foster
Sarr
Williams
Ngongba
Would take that in a heartbeat.
LFG
To me that sounds good but still need a high volume, good 3 point shooter. Also, no one in that lineup is a 3 point threat and 3 of them are in the 50-60% free throw range
I expect Boozer and Sarr to make a sophomore jump. They both could be decent 3 point shooters. The 3 point threat could be the possible 3/4 addition but I don’t anticipate one of the top portal players available such as Blackwell. If they got a commitment from him I would expect one of the guards or wings to leave. In my opinion
Yeah that's the problem. We get anyone that's good then we risk losing one that we already have. Everyone wants to start and will risk going elsewhere instead of being a team player
First domino, Cayden is back for year 2. Just announced
Sounds like there could be multiple announcements today. I think we are all ready for it. Different from prior years
Like other recent Duke players, Cayden isn’t running away from the grind 
Expected and welcomed news. Can't wait to see him get redemption for this year. Caleb next?
Supposedly it will be multiple returnees announcing today. 
I'd love to see us get it over with instead of dragging it on for days and days and days. But that's just me and my anxiety talking.
If Cayden, Foster, Evans, Ngongba, and Sarr all return to play for the 2026-2027 season, Coach Scheyer’s High Retention Rate will stay in tact.
a lot of us want experience. That would give Duke 1 - Senior, 2 - Juniors, and 2 - Sophomores as the Returning Core. I like it.
a lot of us want experience. That would give Duke 1 - Senior, 2 - Juniors, and 2 - Sophomores as the Returning Core. I like it.
If Evans returns imo it wouldn’t be announced until after The NBA combine .
Maybe Blackwell?Not next-next, but soon, too, I hope...
Y'all have heard, right?
Pretty good chance Blackwell, but there is ucla and Louisville there too.
I was more so projecting the message I quoted that Foster not being next but the one after. Maybe they were implying Sarr next.
I initially said Rippey would start and i said it in a most arrogant manner. Saddened at my behavior. The way things are looking and barring any late changes, it is looking more and more like I will have no idea who starts. Oh well. Game on
Same here. I’m not sure who starts but Duke is putting together a strong back court and the PF spot is nice .
I’m glad you said it first cuz I was coming to say it too. Rippeys dad saying on X that his son is ok being in a learning role this year. My gosh we are about to freaking cook to the extreme
