College basketball insider Terrence Oglesby has unveiled his way-too-early ACC standings projections, and while he didn’t outright dismiss the Blue Devils, he’s not fully convinced Duke is the conference’s top team. Instead, Oglesby tabbed Louisville for the No. 1 spot, placing Duke second.
Rounding out his top five are NC State at No. 3, North Carolina at No. 4, and Wake Forest at No. 5.
Although Jon Scheyer’s Blue Devils may have more raw talent on paper than Pat Kelsey’s Louisville squad, it’s not hard to see why some expect the Cardinals to finish ahead in today’s college basketball landscape. Louisville returns two of its top five scorers from last season—J’Vonne Hadley and Kasean Pryor—and complements them with one of the strongest transfer classes in the nation.
That group includes Adrian Wooley (18.8 ppg at Kennesaw State), Ryan Conwell (16.5 ppg at Xavier), and sharpshooter Isaac McKneely (42.1% from three at Virginia). Add in five-star freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr., expected to be one of the most dynamic first-year players in the country, and the return of center Aly Khalifa—who missed last season after transferring from BYU due to a knee injury—and the Cardinals have a balanced, veteran roster with star power.
Continuity is the biggest differentiator between Louisville and Duke heading into the season. The Cardinals bring back a proven core while integrating seasoned transfers and a highly touted freshman, but Scheyer is tasked with building chemistry in an almost entirely new lineup after losing his entire starting five.
Duke’s No. 1-ranked 2025 recruiting class brings elite freshman talent, yet experience is scarce. Returning contributors include Isaiah Evans, Caleb Foster, Patrick Ngongba II, Darren Harris, and Maliq Brown, but most are stepping into significantly larger roles. Foster seeks a bounce-back after a disappointing sophomore year, Ngongba is coming off an injury-plagued freshman season, Evans will have to expand his game beyond spot-up shooting, and Harris saw limited minutes as a rookie.
There’s no question Duke could grow into a top-five or top-ten team nationally, but uncertainty makes it tough to confidently project them as a championship favorite right now. Their brutal non-conference schedule will offer early tests—and plenty of chances for a young squad to mature into a true contender—but preseason rankings will reflect both the promise and the unknowns of the 2025-26 Blue Devils.
Leave a Reply