The Duke Blue Devils are entering the 2026-27 college basketball season without Cameron Boozer, but expectations in Durham remain high. Despite losing their star freshman to the NBA, Jon Scheyer's squad has earned the No. 2 spot in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.

Duke trails only Florida, which received 47 of 59 first-place votes to open the season at No. 1. The Blue Devils earned 10 first-place votes, showing that voters still believe they have the roster to compete for a national championship.

Replacing Boozer won't be easy after his standout freshman campaign, but Duke has plenty of talent returning and several newcomers expected to make an impact. Caleb Foster (who has a minor injury), Patrick Ngongba II, and Dame Sarr provide a foundation for Scheyer, while Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell adds another experienced option to the backcourt.

The Blue Devils also welcome newcomers Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje and Cam Williams as they look to maintain their place among college basketball's elite programs. That combination of returning talent, impact transfers, and a highly regarded recruiting class gives Duke plenty of options despite losing its leading star.

Duke's ranking also reflects the program's recent consistency under Scheyer. The Blue Devils are coming off consecutive 35-win seasons and will look to make another deep NCAA Tournament run with a roster built to compete at the highest level.

Duke opens its regular season at home against Army before hosting Coastal Carolina later that week. With a deep roster and another group of talented newcomers, the Blue Devils will have an early opportunity to show why voters placed them second in the country.

Duke has a very tough schedule this season, not afraid to play the best.

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Losing Boozer is a challenge, but Duke clearly has no shortage of talent as it begins its pursuit of another championship.