What to expect from Duke Basketball players this season (2024)

6'5", 197 pounds

Point Guard

Sophom*ore

Expectations - Starting Combo Guard

Caleb Foster missed the majority of the end of the season with an ankle injury, and opted to return to Duke for his second season on the college level. With a healthy leg next year, Foster is expected to build on a freshman season that solidified him him in to a "starting six" position despite a loaded backcourt group that included returnees Tyrese Proctor and Jeremy Roach.

As a second-year player on the college level, Foster will be the second-most experienced guy to play his ball at Duke. However, he'll have assistance in the leadership department with third-year Proctor and incoming transfers Mason Gillis (grad transfer - Purdue), Sion James (grad transfer - Tulane), Maliq Brown (junior transfer - Syracuse), and Cameron Sheffield (senior transfer - Rice).

6'9", 195 pounds

Forward

Freshman

Expectations - Starting Small Forward

One of, if not the, most heavily decorated recruits to sign with Duke Basketball in recent memory, Cooper Flagg is destined to draw plenty of eyeballs to the most alluring brand in the sport when he starts his college career this Fall. His name is already recognizable among even casual fans of hoops, and he's projected to be a top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft despite reclassifying up a season from his initial high school graduating class.

Flagg will be one of the youngest players in the nation, but will receive plenty of votes for Preseason All-American due to his wide array of skills on both ends of the court. Jon Scheyer has surrounded the centerpiece of next year's roster with plenty of experience and talent on either side of his expected small forward role, although Flagg has shown over his high school career that he's willing and able to handle the ball and act as a facilitator, or defend bigger guys in the post.

6'6", 170 pounds

Guard

Freshman

Expectations -Rotation Wing

Isaiah Evans was one of the most prolific scorers in North Carolinaprep basketball history at North Mecklenburg High School just outside of Charlotte, NC. He had plenty of opportunities to leave and play for a more established prep school across the country, but opted to stay close to home and flourished.Heaveraged 27.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 steals per contestwhile leading his team to a 30-3 record and a Class 4A state championship.

As one of two Blue Devils' commitments (along with Flagg) to earn McDonald's All-American honors, Evans' skillset and potential are obvious. How that translates to the next level, where he'll be facing off against guys multiple years older than him and with more developed physiques. His initial role will likely be as an offensive sparkplug off the bench, as his height and quick shot will allow him to get buckets over bigger defenders. If he can build up his skillset on the defensive side of the ball, playing time will follow.

6'5", 183 pounds

Guard

Junior

Expectations - StartingPoint Guard

As the lone returner who played down the stretch for Duke last season, Tyrese Proctor will be counted on to not only take a big jump forward in his own skillset, but also bring together a nearly entirely new roster to compete against an elite level of competition from the jump. The rising junior was projected in the preseason by a number of observers, including this writer, to take that leap between his freshman and sophom*ore years, but an ankle injury combined with a concussion suffered early in nonconference play derailed those plans. Having suffered from a concussion last Fall myself, the after-effects can sometimes manifest themselves in different ways and there's really no telling how much that injury played a part in Proctor plateauing during his second year playing college basketball.

Jon Scheyer will need Proctor to put last year behind him, or at least have his 0-9 (0-5 3FG) shooting performance in the Elite Eight drive him to become the lottery pick many have predicted he will become when he makes the jump to the next level. He'll lock down point guard responsibilities alongside sophom*ore Caleb Foster this year and should command the responsibility of guarding the opposition's best backcourt player. Off the court, Proctor should be the captain of this team either in combination with incoming grad transfers Mason Gillis and Sion James or by himself.

6'8", 222 pounds

Forward

Junior

Expectations -Rotation Power Forward/Center

Forward Maliq Brown was one of the best defenders in the ACC last season, earning First Team honors despite playing out of position at center following injuries to Syracuse big men. With the Orange, Brown added2.2 steals, 1.8 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game to 9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds every night out. He's also able to stretch the floor, hitting 36.8% of his shots outside the arc, which will be a key component to him filling in a versatile role in Duke's lineup this coming year.

As freshmen Khaman Maluach and Patrick Ngongba get adjusted to the college level, Brown will likely spend most of his time playing as a PF/C, providing a veteran presence alongside Cooper Flagg. If Duke goes small, Brown can play center on both ends of the court with Flagg as a stretch four, but if they opt to play with a big lineup Brown could easily slide down to play power forward and move Flagg to the small forward spot.

6'5", 205 pounds

Guard/Forward

Freshman

Expectations -Rotation Wing

If someone were to make a copy of Jon Scheyer's offensive game, stick it in a high schooler, and add twenty pounds of muscle, the resulting player would end up looking a lot like Kon Knueppel. On the basketball court, Knueppel (pronounced "Kuh-nipple") has been a prolific scoreron the Wisconsin prep basketball scene for years, inheriting the genes of his father (played at Wisconsin Lutheran College) and his mother (Wisconsin-Green Bay's career leading scorer).

Knueppel's feel for the game and instinctual knowledge should earn him some minutes in what is shaping up to be a crowded backcourt. His defensive abilities will likely determine just how much time he sees, with Proctor, Foster, and Sion James the more experienced players commanding reps and Knueppel fighting it out with classmates Isaiah Evans and Darren Harris for the rest.

6'6", 195 pounds

Guard

Freshman

Expectations -RotationWing

Darren Harris has been committed to Duke since October of 2022, sticking with his childhood dream school for the long haul as he worked his way to becoming the Gatorade State Player of the Year for Virginia. The book on Harris for the early portion of his high school career was that he was an elite shooter but hadn't developed the other parts of his game to become a well-rounded player. Over his junior and senior years, he filled out both physically and rounded out his skillset to become a Top 40 player in the nation with many facets to his game on both sides of the court.

Harris could probably start on a number of teams on the Power Five level this year, but he's got a crowded group of players in front of him on Duke's deep roster. Look for the 6'6" wing to be a reserver player off the bench along with fellow classmates Kon Knueppel and Isaiah Evans.

7'1", 250 pounds

Center

Freshman

Expectations -Starting Center

While he might not be the starting center out of the gate as it takes him time to adjust to the college game in the United States, Khaman Maluach is expected to finish the year locking down either the starting 5-man role or playing enough minutes to be considered as the starter. At 7'1" tall with a9-foot-8 standing reach and a7-foot-5 wingspan, Maluach possesses physical attributes that not many, if any, on the college level will have this upcoming season. He only started playing basketball recently, but has developed so quickly that NBA international scouts see him as a Top 5 or Top 10 pick in the 2025 draft.

Maluach is a mystery to casual followers of the game, but he's the type of talent that can create headaches for opposing coaches who aren't rolling out mobile 7-footers of their own. He's expected to play for South Sudan in the Paris Olympics, causing him to get to campus much later than the rest of his classmates, but his ability to compete against Olympians from all over the world will aid in his development maybe more than spending those few weeks at Duke could.

6'6",195 pounds

Guard

Junior

Expectations -Reserve Guard

The final addition to Duke's roster via the transfer portal, fourth-year college player Cameron Sheffield opted to join the 2024-25 Blue Devils over some other opportunities where he could be in line for a bigger role. Sheffield finished last year at Rice putting up 7.6 points per game along with 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

While he may see time in a backcourt that only features three true guards, Sheffield isn't expected to play a major role with Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster, and Sion James on the depth chart in front of him.

6'6", 220 pounds

Forward

Senior

Expectations - Starting/Rotation Guard

Sion James was not a big name across college basketball this past season, but he's going to turn some heads this year on the court for Duke. He's built like an NFL linebacker, and has improved his game every year at Tulane. The 6'6", 220 pounder flirted with the NBA Draft this offseason, conducting private workouts for teams, before ultimately deciding to finish out his college eligibility at Duke.

In hisfive year on the college level, James is expected to command a heavy piece of the rotation alongside Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster if Duke plays small ball with Cooper Flagg at the "Stretch Four", or as the first guard off the bench if Flagg is locked in at small forward. As an experienced player, James will be called upon to help lead a locker room of mostly new guys on Duke's roster fight their way through what should be a difficult schedule.

6'6",225 pounds

Forward

Graduate

Expectations -Rotation Forward

Mason Gillis has all the intangibles coaches look for in the transfer portal. He's a veteran, he can play multiple positions, and he comes from a winning program. The 6'6", 225 pound forward spent his last four years with Purdue, playing in four NCAA Tournaments including an appearance in this past year's Final Four. Playing 21.2 minutes per game this past year as a starter, Gillis was a sharpshooter from the perimeter in his 58 attempts, hitting46.8% of them, while dishing out 1.7 assists per night and pulling down 3.9 rebounds.

He wasn't a huge part of the Boilermakers' offense, but took advantage of his limited opportunities while playing in the flow of the game. On a team with underclassmen and transfers across the wings and in the frontcourt, Gillis will be able to find a fit at either forward position alongside Cooper Flagg, who is expected to command the majority of minutes at the small forward position.

6'11", 235 pounds

Center

Freshman

Expectations -Rotation Center

Rated as the No. 5 center in the nation during his senior year, Patrick Ngongba was one of the most highly regarded big men in his class. He held on to his lofty ranking despite being injured for the majority of his senior season, and has recently returned to the court as he works his way back in to game shape. The 6'11", 235 pound Ngongba made his first return from injury in the postseason as he helped his team to a national title game appearance, and then continued on his road to recovery at the Jordan Brand Classic, Nike Hoop Summit, and then finally winning a gold medal with the USA U18 National Team.

While he's likely not all the way back yet, he's expected to provide rotation minutes in the post along with Syracuse transfer Maliq Brown and Khaman Maluach. Big men have historically taken longer to adjust to the college level, so most projections have Ngongba's playing time increasing as the year goes on. He's got the talent to be an immediate contributor, but fortunately will not need to play a full game down low. Look for the trio to form a reputable committee at the '5', with Brown's minutes locking in more at the '4' as Maluach and Ngongba adjust to the college game.

6'9", 230 pounds

Center

Graduate

Walk-On

7'0", 241 pounds

Center

Senior

Walk-On

5'8", 157 pounds

Guard

Senior

Walk-On