Duke basketball roster breakdown: Starting lineup prediction, bench rotation, depth outlook for 2024-25

Duke posted the same record in Year 2 under John Scheyer as it did in Year 1 (27-9). But the Blue Devils progressed by reaching the Elite Eight after exiting in the second round of the NCAA Tournament during Scheyer’s debut campaign. Now, Scheyer brings his most talked-about team to his third season as a replacement for the legendary Mike Krzyzewski.

That might not be fair for a team that brings back only two players who played regularly last season, but it’s the reality for a program that landed the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. No. 1 overall prospect Cooper Flagg’s name tops Duke’s six-man freshman race, and the roster is built to maximize Flagg’s impact.

The only scholarship player with more than a year of experience in a Duke uniform is junior guard Tyrese Proctor, meaning Scherer will face a challenge adjusting. Though Duke is young, it has added some experienced players via the transfer portal. Transfers Sion James (Tulane), Mason Gillis (Purdue) and Malik Brown (Syracuse) are each multi-year college players who will play complementary roles and bring leadership.

With college basketball’s offseason player movement cycle coming to a halt, it’s time to analyze the list of the sport’s top programs. For this installment, we’re taking a look at the Blue Devils and trying to understand what their lineup might look like when the season begins.

Projected Starting Lineup

1. Tyrese Proctor

6-6 | 183 | Junior
Proctor’s sophomore season wasn’t as good as some predicted, and his 0-9 performance in Duke’s Elite Eight loss to NC State was an unflattering conclusion. But the Australian product showed signs of progress. He improved his assist-to-turnover ratio and raised his shooting percentage during his second year in the program. With Jeremy Roach gone, Proctor should take on a leadership role and keep the ball in his hands a lot more.

2. Caleb Foster

6-5 | 202 | So.
One of the top-25 freshmen in the Class of 2023, Foster showed promise before an ankle injury ended his season in late February. He hit 40.6% of his 3-pointers while averaging 7.7 points as a part-time starter. The departures of Roach and Jared McCain gave Foster a natural opportunity to move into a showcase role in the backcourt. He moved to Gary Parish’s No. 10 Early 2025 NBA Mock Draft.

3. Cooper Flag

6-9 | 205 | Fr
The projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is the centerpiece of Duke’s roster. Flagg won’t turn 18 until Dec. 21, but he has all the tools to become the Blue Devils’ top all-around player. Look no further than him Performance against Team USA For proof. Flagg has the size and versatility to dominate on both ends of the field and he might be college basketball’s most anticipated prospect since Zion Williamson.

4. Malik Brown

6-9 | 222 | Junior
Brown was rated Syracuse’s top player last year, according to Evanmia.com’s Bayesian Performance Ratings. He is a skilled but offensively quiet player who thrives on the defensive end. This makes him an ideal player for the Blue Devils, who will get their offensive punch from other sources. Brown earned ACC All-Defense honors as a sophomore, averaging 2.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per contest.

5. Khaman Maluch

7-2 | 250 | Fr.
It’s never wise to have too many expectations for rookies, as Year 1 hit rates for such players in the modern game aren’t even the best of scenarios. The hope for Maluch is that his sheer size and skill around the rim will make him effective. While he’s a viable candidate to start at fifth for the Blue Devils, it would be prudent to measure expectations against his overall productivity.

bench

Mason Gillis

6-6 | 225 | Gr.
Gillis epitomized being a role player for a high-caliber program during his five seasons at Purdue. He will provide the same veteran leadership and excellent floor-spacing in four as he did for a Final Four team last season.

Sion James

6-6 | 220 | Gr.
James is a savvy, veteran player who can help hold an otherwise young roster together. He averaged a career-high 14 points per game on 38.1% 3-point shooting in his fourth season at Tulane and is a good perimeter defender.

Isaiah Evans

6-6 | 175 | Fr
Evans is an offensively talented perimeter player. He’s lanky and needs some physical development, but the McDonald’s All-American should carve out a role off the bench.

Con Knueppel

6-7 | 217 | Fr.
Roach and McCann combined to shoot better than 41% from 3-point range last season, helping the Blue Devils rank 15th nationally at 37.7%. With both gone, Knuppel could find some offensive space as Duke looks to remain a high-level outside shooting team.

depth

Darren Harris | 6-6 | 203 | Fr.
Patrick Ngongba II | 6-11 | 250 | Fr.
Cameron Sheffield | 6-6 | 204 | Sr.

Harris is the No. 38 prospect in the class of 2024, which would make him a main attraction for most programs. At Duke, he is the sixth-highest ranked player in his own recruiting class and will have to fight for playing time. Ngonba is a promising big man, but he is recovering from injuries and is set for a developmental season. Sheffield is a former starter at Rice who missed last season due to injury.