The perfect Duke offseason would include this 2-man Transfer Portal haul
Jon Scheyer is not sitting back and waiting this offseason. It’s clear from the reported interest in some of the top players available in the Transfer Portal that Scheyer is taking an aggressive approach to add talent to Duke and stay among the elite teams in college basketball.
Duke is still waiting on NBA Draft decisions from Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans, Patrick Ngongba, and Dame Sarr. So far, the Blue Devils have only lost one player to the Transfer Portal, with sophomore Darren Harris entering on Tuesday. More could be coming.
Boozer is as good as gone, but the other three have difficult decisions to make. Most seem to believe that Ngongba and Evans will declare, while Sarr will return. Regardless of what happens with that trio, the Blue Devils are in hot pursuit of two of the top players in the portal. If Scheyer can pull it off, it would be a dream offseason for Duke, especially if they get an unexpected returner.
Duke’s dream Transfer Portal haul includes John Blackwell and Flory Bidunga
Wisconsin guard John Blackwell and Kansas center Flory Bidunga are two of the most sought-after players in the Transfer Portal. They’ll command a hefty monetary investment, but if Duke wants to win the national championship, you have no choice in this era but to break the bank in the portal.
Per 247’s portal rankings, Blackwell and Bidunga are No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Landing both would be a dream scenario.
Blackwell is one of college basketball’s elite scorers, averaging 19.1 points per game for Wisconsin this past season while shooting 39% from three-point range. That kind of added offensive punch would be massive for Scheyer’s Blue Devils. Guard play rules in March, and Blackwell is the type of player who can go get you a bucket when you absolutely have to have one.
If his addition ultimately costs Duke either Cayden Boozer or Caleb Foster, then so be it.
As for Bidugna, if Ngongba is gone, Duke has to find a defensive anchor, and there’s no better player available than the Kansas transfer. He was the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year and would be a seamless transition in the middle for the Blue Devils.
If Duke lands both, assuming Evans and Ngongba declare alongside Boozer, and Sarr comes back, Duke’s starting five could look something like this:
Caleb Foster
John Blackwell
Dame Sarr
Cameron Williams
Flory Bidunga
With a bench that consists of:
Deron Rippey Jr.
Cayden Boozer
Bryson Howard
Nikolas Khamenia
That’s nine reliable rotational pieces, not including Sebastian Wilkins, who redshirted this season, or incoming 4-star freshman big man Maxime Meyer, who recently looked like a player who could contribute right away.
That team would solidify Duke as the National Championship favorites in 2027.
