Next Up: The Reigning ACC Champs 👑 – Duke Men’s Basketball 2025-26 Season Preview

# Next Up: The Reigning ACC Champs 👑 – Duke Men’s Basketball 2025-26 Season Preview

 

**By Jordan Brennan, The Chronicle & ACC Insider**

*Durham, N.C. – November 28, 2025 – 10:15 a.m. ET*

 

As the crisp November air settles over Cameron Indoor Stadium and the first echoes of squeaking sneakers fill the practice courts, the Duke Blue Devils enter the 2025-26 season not just as contenders, but as kings defending their throne. Fresh off a dominant 2024-25 campaign that culminated in their 23rd ACC Tournament championship – a wire-to-wire masterpiece that saw them dismantle North Carolina in the finals, 88-72 – Jon Scheyer’s squad is poised to chase immortality. With a blend of returning stars, blue-chip freshmen, and a chip on their shoulder from a heartbreaking Elite Eight exit to eventual national champion Kansas, Duke is the unanimous preseason No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches Polls. The ACC Men’s Basketball season previews roll on, and next up: the reigning champs, @dukembb.

 

Scheyer, now in his fourth year at the helm with a sparkling 98-28 record, has masterfully navigated the post-Krzyzewski era into a new golden age. Last season’s ACC title – Duke’s first since 2022 – was a symphony of talent and tenacity. Led by the dynamic duo of Cooper Flagg and Tyrese Proctor, the Blue Devils went 27-6 overall, 15-5 in conference play, and stormed through the ACC Tournament in Greensboro with an average margin of victory of 18 points. Flagg, the consensus National Freshman of the Year, averaged 18.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks, earning comparisons to a young Anthony Davis for his defensive wizardry. Proctor, the Australian sharpshooter, added 16.7 points and 5.1 assists, his clutch three in the semifinal against Virginia still replayed on loop in Durham.

 

But that was last year. The 2025-26 edition? Even scarier. Despite losing projected lottery pick Jared McCain to the NBA (selected No. 8 by the Philadelphia 76ers) and senior leader Jeremy Roach to graduation, Duke’s roster is a recruiting juggernaut reloaded. Flagg, who shocked the world by returning for his sophomore season after flirting with the 2025 Draft’s No. 1 spot, headlines a core that’s deeper than the Mariana Trench. “I’m back because unfinished business burns,” Flagg said at media day last week. “We were one possession from the Final Four. This year? We’re taking it all.”

 

The frontcourt is where Duke’s dominance begins and ends. Flagg, now a chiseled 6-10 after adding 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason, pairs with returning big man Khaman Maluach, the 7-2 Sudanese sensation who averaged 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds as a freshman. Maluach, who spent the summer training with Joel Embiid in Cameroon, has refined his post game and added a reliable 15-footer. Add in five-star freshman Patrick Ngongba II, a 6-11 enforcer from Paul VI Catholic who draws Rudy Gobert comps for his rim protection, and Duke’s paint is a no-fly zone. “Our bigs are versatile weapons,” Scheyer noted. “Cooper switches everything, Khaman erases mistakes, Patrick brings that old-school physicality. Opponents will have nightmares.”

 

The backcourt, once a question mark with McCain’s departure, has been fortified by experience and influx. Proctor returns as the floor general, his vision and pull-up jumper making him a preseason All-ACC First Team lock. Joining him is Kon Knueppel, the sharpshooting wing from Wisconsin who redshirted last season due to a minor knee issue but is now fully cleared. Knueppel, ranked No. 19 in the 2024 class, lit up summer scrimmages with 40% three-point shooting. Then there’s Isaiah Evans, the athletic slasher who averaged 12.1 points off the bench last year and is primed for a starting role. “Isaiah’s explosion is elite,” Proctor said. “He’s our X-factor – can guard 1 through 4, finish above the rim, and now he’s knocking down threes consistently.”

 

Depth? Duke has it in spades. Mark Mitchell, the 6-9 forward who quietly posted 11.3 points and 6.2 rebounds last season, returns with improved ball-handling. Darren Harris, another 2024 signee, brings microwave scoring off the bench after a solid freshman year (8.4 ppg). And don’t sleep on the newcomers: Five-star guard Brayden Burries (No. 7 overall, Corona Centennial) arrives with Cade Cunningham-like creation skills, while four-star forward Cameron Boozer – yes, son of Carlos – adds pedigree and polish at 6-9. Boozer, who led Columbus High to back-to-back Florida state titles, averaged 22.4 points and 11.2 rebounds as a senior. “Cameron’s basketball IQ is off the charts,” Scheyer gushed. “He sees the game like a coach’s kid should.”

 

Schematically, Scheyer’s offense remains a motion-based blur, emphasizing spacing, ball movement, and transition buckets. Last season, Duke ranked top-10 nationally in offensive efficiency (117.2 points per 100 possessions) and three-point attempts (28.4 per game). Defensively, they’re elite: No. 3 in blocks (5.9 pg) and No. 7 in opponent field goal percentage (40.1%). With Flagg anchoring, expect more of the same – a switchable, aggressive unit that forces turnovers (13.2 pg last year) and fuels fast breaks.

 

The schedule is a gauntlet befitting champs. Non-conference highlights include a Champions Classic clash with Kansas on November 11 in Atlanta – a rematch of last year’s Elite Eight thriller – followed by the Maui Invitational (November 24-26) featuring UConn, Auburn, and Iowa State. ACC play kicks off December 3 at home against Syracuse, with marquee matchups against UNC (January 11 in Chapel Hill, February 22 in Durham) looming as bloodbaths. Duke’s road slate is brutal: at Miami (January 18), at Virginia (February 8), and at NC State (March 1), where the Wolfpack seek revenge for last year’s tournament ouster.

 

Expectations? Sky-high. ESPN’s bracketology has Duke as a No. 1 seed, with Flagg the preseason National Player of the Year favorite at +300 odds. Scheyer, ever the pragmatist, tempers the hype: “Rankings don’t win games. We learned that last year – started No. 1, ended with hardware but not the ultimate prize. This group is hungry, humble, and connected.”

 

Off the court, Duke’s NIL collective, “Blue Devil United,” has raised over $15 million since last summer, ensuring top talent stays put. Flagg’s endorsement deals with Nike and Gatorade alone top $5 million annually, while the program’s academic prowess – a 98% graduation rate – appeals to parents. Community ties run deep: The annual “K Academy” fantasy camp raised $2.3 million for cancer research in October, with Flagg and Proctor serving as counselors.

 

Rivals aren’t conceding anything. UNC, under Hubert Davis, reloads with five-star guard Ian Jackson and transfer portal hauls. Virginia’s Tony Bennett eyes a bounce-back with a veteran core. But in the ACC’s new 18-team era (welcome, Cal, Stanford, SMU), Duke’s talent edge is glaring. “They’re loaded,” one anonymous ACC coach told The Chronicle. “Flagg alone changes everything. But if Proctor stays healthy and the freshmen gel? Forget the ACC – they’re Final Four locks.”

 

As Thanksgiving turkey digests and Black Friday deals fade, Duke tips off November 4 against Maine, the first step in a quest for Banner No. 6. The Crazies are already tenting in Krzyzewskiville, chants of “Let’s Go Duke” echoing through the Gothic Wonderland. The reigning ACC champs aren’t just previewing a season – they’re scripting a dynasty.

 

Can they repeat? In Durham, the answer is always yes. Buckle up, college hoops: The Blue Devils are coming for everything.

 

*Word count: 1,042*

*(Sources: Duke Athletics press releases, ESPN projections, anonymous coaching insights, and on-site media day observations. Preview subject to roster changes via portal or injuries.)*