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Duke Basketball Makes Big Announcement on Tuesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 1:24 PM ET

The Duke Blue Devils dominated the ACC this past season under head coach Jon Scheyer in his third year at the helm. They finished with an impressive 35–4 overall record and went 19–1 in conference play, capturing both the ACC regular season and tournament titles before earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

However, their championship hopes were cut short after a heartbreaking second-half collapse against the Houston Cougars in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.

Looking ahead to next season, Duke will experience significant roster turnover. The Blue Devils are losing standout freshmen Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach, along with veteran guard Tyrese Proctor — all of whom are heading to the NBA.

Despite the departures, Scheyer has assembled one of the most talented rosters on paper. Incoming five-star recruits Cayden and Cameron Boozer, Dame Sarr, and Sebastian Wilkins headline the freshman class, while key returners such as Isaiah Evans, Caleb Foster, Patrick Ngongba II, and Darren Harris bring continuity.

On Tuesday, Duke made a notable offseason announcement by unveiling jersey numbers for their 2025–26 roster, giving fans an early glimpse at what next year’s team will look like.

'25-26 #⃣ pic.twitter.com/UDCmMDWljF
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) June 17, 2025

Fans reacted to some of the jersey numbers:

"We going all the way forreal this time!" A fan said.

Someone else added, "New year new squad same goal."

Another fan posted, "dame sarr #7 bouta look crazy."

"Going to be weird to see a team with no jersey number above 21," one more fan commented.

Duke will open the regular season in the inaugural Dick Vitale Invitational, facing an early test right out of the gate against the Texas Longhorns.

While the Blue Devils will be headlined by their highly touted freshman class, it may be the returning players who determine just how far this team can go.

Their experience and leadership could be the key difference in turning Duke from a Final Four contender into a true national championship threat — something that was clearly lacking in their late-game collapse against a veteran Houston squad last season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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