The Blue Devils haven’t even tipped off the season, but the battle for Duke’s starting five is already fierce — and it’s getting spicy.
CBS’s Cameron Salerno rolled out his prediction for Jon Scheyer’s opening lineup:
Caleb Foster
Isaiah Evans
Cameron Boozer
Patrick Ngongba
Dame Sarr
Looks solid on paper — but if you think that’s set in stone, think again.
From all accounts, three names are near-locks: Boozer, Evans, and Ngongba. The rest? Wide open.
The Point Guard Showdown
Foster has been electric in practice — confident, attacking the lane, and running the show with swagger. But the twist? Cameron’s twin brother, Cayden Boozer, is right on his heels. If Scheyer finally finds his elusive elite point guard, it might just come from having two of them battling every day.
Sarr’s Sixth-Man Value
At 6’8″, Dame Sarr could absolutely start… but he might actually be deadlier coming off the bench. Think Mike Dunleavy’s freshman year — the kind of all-around weapon who can sub in for multiple positions and change the energy instantly.
The Wild Cards No One’s Talking About
Don’t sleep on Maliq Brown, Darren Harris, Nik Khamenia, or Sebastian Wilkins.
Brown could split minutes with Ngongba in a frontcourt rotation that gives Duke serious muscle.
Harris has leveled up as a shooter — reportedly ahead of where he was last year.
Khamenia’s passing vision could unlock highlight plays with Boozer and Ngongba.
Wilkins? Already exceeding expectations as a bruising, physical force.
With this kind of depth, Duke’s preseason practices aren’t just tune-ups — they’re battles. And by the time the season starts, Scheyer might have more than just five starters… he might have ten players ready to dominate.
One thing’s for sure: this race for the starting five isn’t over. In fact, it’s just getting good.
