Oct 8, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke head coach Jon Scheyer answers questions from the media at The Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images William Howard-Imagn Images

Biggest Concerns for Duke Basketball Entering the Season

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Duke Blue Devils basketball team is looking to have another great season, but this time they want to make sure they are the last team standing at the end of the season.

This Duke team is looking different than previous years because they are returning some important upperclassmen this season. That is something Duke has not had in the last few years. That could be a huge boost for this team, which is also welcoming a great freshman group.

Head coach Jon Scheyer enters another year at Duke, and he is looking to bring a National Championship back to Duke, this time as the head coach.

Scheyer knows what it takes to win it all, and he is going to make sure he does everything in his power to put this team in the best position both on and off the court. That is something that is going to help the team chemistry as well. They are looking to get off to a great start.

As for many teams, even the best ones going into the season, they are going to be facing challenges. For Duke they are going to have a strong team, but they will go through their downs and ups this season. It is all going to be about how they respond when adversity strikes for this team.

Challenges that Duke Faces Going into New Season

"Duke’s undoing in that Houston game (and arguably in its other three losses last season, too) was its point guard play, not its youth," said Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated. "Duke’s best lineups last year were with Sion James, a game manager and low-usage shooter, on the floor and Flagg initiating the offense, rather than running more through Foster, who saw his minutes dwindle down the stretch."

"Don’t be surprised if Duke does similar things with Boozer (on a smaller scale; he doesn’t quite have Flagg’s ball skills) while freeing up Foster to go score, but the lack of a true table-setter bit them in key moments in half-court offense last season. Could Cayden Boozer eventually emerge as that guy? Possibly, though his lack of three-point shooting might create other problems."

The first half of the season is going to be key for this Duke team. They know that is when they have to learn from each game and make sure they are still creating chemistry.

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This article first appeared on Duke Blue Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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