Duke added the final player to its roster for the 2026-27 season this week with the commitment from 7-foot center Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje from Spain. He joins John Blackwell (Wisconsin) and Drew Scharnowski (Belmont), along with the incoming recruiting class, as new pieces to Jon Scheyer’s squad that will hopefully help bring Duke its sixth national title.
Key returners in Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr and Patrick Ngongba will also play a critical role in how far the Blue Devils get after falling in the Elite Eight to UConn this past season.
Advertisement
But, as they say, you can only start the game with five players on the court, so who will be those players who come out for Scheyer for the tip next season? Here’s another early look.
Cayden Boozer (Guard) – He averaged 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor. With a year under his belt, he should be even better.
John Blackwell (Guard) – One of the top players in this year’s transfer portal, the former Badger can score in bunches. As a junior, the 6-foot-4 Blackwell averaged 19.1 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 43 percent from the floor.
Dame Sarr (Forward) – His game continued to grow during his freshman season, showing flashes of what Duke can get out of him in the future.
Advertisement
Cameron Williams (Forward) – While Scharnowski could very well be the starter at the power forward position, the more I hear about the 5-star recruit, the more it tells me he is going to be something special. Could Duke have another Freshman of the Year on its hands?
Patrick Ngongba (Center) – A surprise when he decided to come back for another season, Ngongba solidifies the inside for the Blue Devils with his defense and scoring ability.
First off the bench: Caleb Foster, Drew Scharnwoski, Sebastian Wilkins, Bryson Howard
This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Projecting Duke’s starting lineup for the 2026-27 season (Version 2.0)
