Duke Basketball Roster Construction Almost Complete for 2024-25 Season

Except for potential walk-on additions, it appears that the 2024-25 Duke basketball cast is now set.

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer / Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

The offseason has been a bit of a roller coaster for Duke basketball fans, with a mass exodus of players from last year’s roster coming just after the season before head coach Jon Scheyer and the rest of the Blue Devil staff reloaded to seemingly become championship hopefuls once again.

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After losing Ryan Young to exhausted eligibility, the Blue Devils then lost two of their best players when Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain declared for the upcoming NBA Draft. Those departures were quickly followed by seven players entering the transfer portal, just a year removed from Duke having zero outbound transfers.

In total, the Blue Devils lost 11 scholarship talents from last year’s team, including most of the starters. The only scholarship returnees are in the backcourt, with rising junior Tyrese Proctor and sophomore Caleb Foster choosing to run it back in Durham.

They are set to be joined by the nation’s No. 1 overall recruiting class, a six-deep collection headlined by the cycle's No. 1 prospect in phenom forward Cooper Flagg. Alongside him are five-star center Khaman Maluach, five-star forward Isaiah Evans, five-star forward Kon Knueppel, five-star center Patrick Ngongba II, and four-star wing Darren Harris.

Duke has built the PERFECT roster around Cooper Flagg for this upcoming season.

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Young teams have shown struggles in the transfer portal, so Scheyer made sure that his top-ranked recruiting haul wouldn’t be the only newcomers to The Brotherhood this season. The Blue Devil staff hit the portal hard, bringing in a four-deep transfer class to complement the combination of returnees and freshmen.

The first two commits came from Syracuse transfer forward Maliq Brown and Purdue transfer forward Mason Gillis, who both provide size and experience. Brown’s overall defense and Gillis’ shooting ability are personal strengths.

A few weeks later, they were joined by Tulane transfer guard Sion James. Then, Rice transfer wing Cameron Sheffield committed to the Blue Devils on Thursday.

That collection of players gives the Blue Devils 12 dependable scholarship players, including a mix of youth and experience, as well as a bevy of talent, size, and versatility all around the court. Of the confirmed 12 scholarship players on next year’s roster, not a single one is listed below 6-foot-5.

The Blue Devils currently have one scholarship announcement remaining, but all indications currently point to walk-on center Stanley Borden, who has been with Duke basketball since the 2021-22 season, receiving that 13th and final scholarship.

On that note, be on the lookout for one or two new walk-ons in Durham next season.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI for more Duke basketball news.