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CBS Sports Has High Praise For Duke Basketball in 2026-27 season
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- CBS Sports Has High Praise For Duke Basketball in 2026-27 season
CBS Sports Has High Praise For Duke Basketball in 2026-27 season
(REUTERS)
CBS Sports analysts high on Duke in 2026-27
The countdown to the 2026-27 college basketball season rolls on as we are just under three months away from tipoff in November. For the Duke Blue Devils , it's been another offseason with excitement and high expectations.
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Jon Scheyer and his staff have reloaded with the roster once again, welcoming in the top overall recruiting class as well as a good transfer portal class.
That's in addition to some key players returning for the Blue Devils. It's no surprise that the Blue Devils are among the preseason favorites again and should find themselves ranked in the top five of the first AP Poll of the year. But how good can Duke be?
The Blue Devils were the topic of discussion for CBS Sports' Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish on a new podcast episode. Both discussed the potential that Duke has and both agreed that Duke will be very, very good.
"The difference here versus the past two years is that we knew Cooper Flagg was going to be awesome, and we knew Cameron Boozer was going to be awesome," Norlander said . "We think this Duke team is going to be very, very, very good, but there is not a player on this team who is going to be transcendent across the college basketball landscape for the 2026-27 season."
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Duke lost Cameron Boozer , Isaiah Evans, and Maliq Brown to the NBA from last year's roster but they do reload. The biggest offseason addition is arguably guard John Blackwell from Wisconsin, bringing some veteran presence to what will be another young roster.
The addition of freshman Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje also has fans excited in terms of what Duke will be able to do in the front court. Scheyer and his staff have been very good at constructing this roster for the season and while there's no Cameron Boozer or Cooper Flagg, they believe Duke should be one of the top teams come February.
"There is no Cooper Flagg or Cameron Boozer on this team," Parrish said. "But if it's Valentine's Day, Duke is ranked No. 1 in the country and Blackwell is averaging 17 a game, he's going to have to be a part of that conversation. I assume he would be their leading scorer and best player. But they are loaded from a talent perspective, depth perspective—every perspective."
Let's hope the two analysts are right and Duke can go on a big run in the NCAA Tournament this time.
