Entire 2024-25 starting lineup departing after NBA Draft announcement
Duke basketball will officially lose its entire starting five from last season’s Final Four team after freshman center Khaman Maluach declared for the 2025 NBA Draft. All of the Blue Devils’ starters from this past season in Maluach, Tyrese Proctor, Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Sion James are expected to hear their names called on draft night, but Scheyer will have a very new squad heading into next season. The Blue Devils boast the #3 overall 2025 recruiting class, headlined by top prospect Cameron Boozer, but have yet to make any additions via the transfer portal. Caleb Foster, Darren Harris, Maliq Brown, Pat Ngongba II, and Isaiah Evans have all announced their returns to Durham next season, and top remaining transfer Cedric Coward (Washington State) has listed Duke in his final two schools, along with Alabama. Although Coward has said his main focus remains on this summer’s NBA Draft.
Three former Blue Devils ink NFL contracts
No Duke football players heard their names called during the three-day 2025 NFL Draft, but three players have already signed contracts with NFL teams as undrafted free agents. Jordan Moore and Eli Pancol, the Blue Devils’ top two receivers from a season ago, signed deals with the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars, respectively. Moore is coming off of a senior season where he led Duke in receiving yards (861) and yards per catch (15.7). Moore, who transitioned from quarterback to wide receiver after his freshman season of college, notched career-highs in yards, yards per catch, and touchdowns (8) in 2024. Pancol just wrapped up his final season in Durham, ending on a high note after injuries cut all of his 2023 season short. The fellow senior hauled in 60 passes for 798 yards and nine touchdowns, leading the Blue Devils in touchdowns and setting career-highs in all of those categories. Cornerback Joshua Pickett will be heading to Denver after signing a deal with the Broncos. He’ll have the opportunity to play alongside Pat Surtain II after totaling 38 tackles, seven pass deflections, and a forced fumble as a senior this past season.
Big time recruiting visit taking place
On Sunday, the Duke basketball program met with 2026 five-star recruit Christian Collins at his high school. Collins, out of St. John Bosco (CA), is the #5 overall prospect and #1 power forward per the 247Sports Class of 2026 Composite Rankings. He currently holds offers from schools such as Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Kansas, Oregon, UCLA, among others. In his junior year, Collins averaged 13.3 points and 9.7 rebounds and is beginning to gauge interest from some of college basketball’s top programs. Scheyer has started to dig into his 2026 recruiting as of late, although there are still some 2025 prospects on Duke’s radar for next season. Brandon McCoy, the class of 2026’s #2 overall player, is also heavily on the Blue Devils’ radar. Additionally, Duke recently offered 2026 four-star Sebastian Wilkins, but Wilkins is expected to reclassify to 2025 and play college basketball next season, making him another potential target
