CBS Sports analysts Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish are absolutely buzzing about Duke, calling them “very, very good” for the upcoming 2026-27 college basketball season and pegging them for a top-five spot in the first AP Poll. With tipoff for November just under three months away, the excitement around Durham is already through the roof. Coach Jon Scheyer and his staff have been on a mission this offseason, pulling in the top overall recruiting class and a strong transfer portal haul, all while retaining some key players. This is the kind of retooling that screams “contender” from day one.
Scheyer’s Master Class in Roster Reloading
Look, you gotta give it to Scheyer, he knows how to reload a roster. Losing talent to the NBA is always a gut punch, and Duke definitely felt it with Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans, and Maliq Brown all moving on from last year’s squad. That’s a huge void, right? But did they panic? Nope. They went out and grabbed guard John Blackwell from Wisconsin, bringing that crucial veteran presence a young team desperately needs. And then there’s freshman Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje, already getting fans hyped about what he’ll do in the front court. Scheyer and his crew aren’t just filling gaps; they’re constructing a contender, even without those immediate superstar names from the past.
The No-Superstar Squad Aiming For The Top?
Here’s where it gets really interesting and where Norlander and Parrish dive into the deep end. Norlander made a point that’s going to turn some heads: “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.” He’s saying this year’s Duke team is absolutely going to be “very, very, very good,” but we shouldn’t expect one player to be “transcendent across the college basketball landscape.” No single superstar dominating headlines, no one guy carrying the whole load. But does that even matter when you have talent oozing from every corner of the lineup?
Parrish echoes that sentiment, confirming “there is no Cooper Flagg or Cameron Boozer on this team.” Yet, he throws out a wild scenario: “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.” That’s a massive prediction for Blackwell! He’s convinced Duke is “loaded from a talent perspective, depth perspective,every perspective.” It sounds like this team is built on collective strength, not individual heroics. The big question now is if this deep, talented squad can truly make a big run in the NCAA Tournament and live up to that No. 1 potential. We’ll find out what they’re truly made of starting in November.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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