How will Duke basketball’s rebuilt roster look next season without Cam Boozer?

Duke’s Cameron Boozer waited until almost the last minute to make it official: he would enter the 2026 NBA Draft.

Boozer passed along that news somewhat cryptically Friday on his Instagram page, saying, “Thank you for everything, @dukeuniversity. Duke Blue forever.”

To which his twin brother Cayden replied, “I guess we got a lot to talk about tonight.”

Duke basketball fans had a lot to talk about after a week that had Boozer and Isaiah Evans decide to enter the draft while Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster, Patrick Ngongba and Dame Sarr let it be known they would return for the 2026-27 season.

With that done, Duke’s roster construction seemed mostly complete. Mostly.

The Blue Devils used the NCAA transfer portal to get commitments from guard John Blackwell of Wisconsin– a big “get” for Duke – and forward Drew Scharnowski from Belmont. It’s possible there could be another before Duke is done.

Add in a top-ranked recruiting class the Blue Devils signed and Duke, 35-3 last season, could again have assembled a national championship contender. They won’t have a Cooper Flagg or Cam Boozer – the past two national players of the year – but will have a roster packed with hoops talent and again have a blend of experienced guys and young guns.

The NCAA’s Division I board of directors met Monday to discuss the proposal to allow a fifth year of eligibility for athletes. But the “five-in-five” rule would not be implemented retroactively, which would have allowed Maliq Brown, a senior last season and Duke’s best defensive stopper, a fifth year.

A look at next season:

Possible starters

Duke coach Jon Scheyer again will have options. No Flagg or Cam Boozer to build around but a number of players who could be the Devils’ leading scorer any night.

One lineup could have Cayden Boozer at the point, with Blackwell at shooting guard, Sarr at small forward, freshman Cam Williams at power forward and Ngongba at center.

Or …

Freshman Deron Rippey Jr. could come in and make a strong push to start at point guard. Or Scheyer could turn to Foster. The competition to be the primary ballhandler could be as interesting as it is intense.

Best returning player

Ngongba could have turned pro but decided another year in the program and college basketball can further round out his overall game. But the best returning player could be Foster.

Every team needs that older, experienced guy with steel in his eyes and a fierce competitiveness when he’s on the court. He’s the guy that teammates turn to when things go awry, the one who keeps guys calm and on point.

That’s Foster. He should be the team captain and would take on that role responsively.

Biggest needs

Cam Boozer was a double-double machine. The Blue Devils can probably make up the 22.5 points per game lost with his departure for the NBA – Blackwell was a 19-point scorer for the Badgers in the Big Ten last season – but Boozer’s 10.2 rebounds could be harder to account for and match.

Ngongba averaged 5.8 rebounds a game last season and the Devils will need more from the 6-11, 250-pound junior, and will count on Williams, who also is 6-11 but leaner at a little more than 200 pounds. Sebastian Wilkins, a former 5-star recruit who was redshirted as a freshman last season, is listed at 6-8 and 220 pounds and can help on the boards.

Another concern: replacing Evans’ 3-point threat “Showtime Slim” could put on a show at times and be streaky good, forcing defenses to adjust.

Blackwell was a 39% shooter from distance last season at Wisconsin, with a team-high 96 made 3’s -- Evans had 101, shooting 36%. Foster shot a team-leading 39.8% from the arc for the Devils.

Bryson Howard was a 45% shooter last season at Frisco (Texas) Heritage High and could earn more playing time at Duke if the 6-4 guard shows he can be an Evans-type threat at the college level as a freshman.

Best-case scenario

The Blue Devils win the national championship, Duke’s sixth.

There have been some excruciating losses the past two years in the NCAA Tournament, and the Braylon Mullins shot for Connecticut this March will always linger like a bad dream. But the goal again in 2026-27 will be to go all the way, get it done, cut down the nets at the end.

Mike Krzyzewski teams did it five times. Scheyer, who helped Coach K win one, now is after his first as head coach.

Chip Alexander

The News & Observer

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In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.