Duke made a splash in the transfer portal by landing Washington State star Cedric Coward. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season for WSU, and his commitment marks the first addition the Blue Devils have made via the transfer portal this cycle.
Coward is expected to play a key role next to fellow returners Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster. Evans, a former five-star recruit who primarily came off the bench, averaged 7.0 points. Foster announced earlier this month that he will return to school for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Heading into Year 4 of the Jon Scheyer era, Duke faces plenty of questions. With Flagg, Knueppel, and Maluach all heading to the NBA, the Blue Devils could be looking at a major overhaul of their starting lineup again. Sion James has exhausted his eligibility, and Tyrese Proctor will be turning pro.
What’s next for Duke after Final Four loss? Three massive storylines for Jon Scheyer’s busy offseason
Cameron Salerno
CBS Sports is tracking the status of the Duke roster and recruiting class in real time. Here’s where every current Duke player and commit currently stand.
Incoming transfers
Cedric Coward (Transfer from Washington State)
GP: 6 | PPG: 17.7 | RPG: 7.0 | APG: 3.7
Duke’s first commitment via the transfer portal came from Coward earlier this week. The Washington State star played in just six games last season after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in late November.
Duke players returning for the 2025-26 season
Caleb Foster | G | Soph.
GP: 38 | PPG: 4.9 | RPG: 1.7 | APG: 1.4
Foster was a starter entering last season but was replaced in the lineup by James. The former highly touted recruit from the 2023 recruiting cycle averaged just 14 minutes per game after playing over 25 minutes as a freshman. Foster will be returning to Duke for his junior year.
Isaiah Evans | G/F | Fr.
GP: 36 | PPG: 6.8 | RPG: 1.1 | APG: 0.5
Evans has been compared to former standout forward Brandon Ingram. The former star recruit from the 2024 recruiting cycle saw the floor sparingly in his freshman season and averaged just 13.7 minutes. Evans will be returning to Duke for the 2025-26 season.
Isaiah Evans returning to Duke: Former five-star recruit passes on NBA Draft to come back for sophomore season
Kyle Boone
Maliq Brown | F | Jr.
GP: 26 | PPG: 2.5 | RPG: 3.7 | APG: 1.5
His stats don’t justify how valuable Brown was this past season. Brown was limited to just 26 games due to a shoulder injury but was one of Duke’s best defenders when he saw the court. Brown was a key addition to Duke’s portal class last spring. He is returning for the 2025-26 season.
Patrick Ngongba II | C | Fr.
GP: 30 | PPG: 3.9 | RPG: 2.7 | APG: 0.8
The former four-star recruit averaged 10.6 minutes per game and made 30 appearances for the Blue Devils. Ngongba is returning to Duke for his sophomore season.
Darren Harris | G/F | Fr.
GP: 21 | PPG: 2.0 | RPG: 1.1 | APG: 0.3
Harris was another member of Duke’s star-studded 2024 recruiting class. Harris logged just 21 appearances this past season. He is a candidate for a larger role in the second season of his college career.
Duke players not returning in 2025-26
Cooper Flagg (Declared for the NBA Draft)
GP: 37 | PPG: 19.2 | RPG: 7.5 | APG: 4.2
Flagg is officially off to the NBA. The biggest question mark surrounding Flagg coming into the season was his offense, and he continued to improve throughout the year. Flagg is a no-brainer No. 1 overall draft pick, and the team that wins the lottery next month should celebrate for weeks.
Kon Knueppel (Declared for the NBA Draft)
GP: 39 | PPG: 14.4 | RPG: 4.0 | APG: 2.7
Knueppel would be the best pro prospect on almost every team in the country … outside of the school he committed to play for. Knueppel is a potential top-10 pick, and his 3-point shooting is his biggest strength. Knueppel shot 40.6% from beyond the 3-point line. Knueppel officially declared for the NBA Draft.
Sion James (Out of eligibility)
GP: 39 | PPG: 8.6 | RPG: 4.2 | APG: 2.9
The former Tulane standout played just one season with Duke and certainly left his mark on the program. James connected on 41.3% of his 3-pointers and was one of the best on-ball defenders on the team.
Mason Gillis (Out of eligibility)
GP: 37 | PPG: 4.1 | RPG: 2.6 | APG: 0.8
Gillis transferred to Duke last offseason after spending the first four seasons of his career at Purdue. Gillis joined elite company as one of just a handful of college basketball players to reach the Final Four with two different programs.
Tyrese Proctor (Declared for the NBA Draft)
GP: 38 | PPG: 12.4 | RPG: 3.0 | APG: 2.2
Proctor had one the most intriguing stay-or-go decisions and elected to enter the NBA draft. Proctor is likely a second-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Khaman Maluach (Declared for the NBA Draft)
GP: 39 | PPG: 8.6 | RPG: 6.6 | APG: 0.5
Maluach should be a lottery pick when it’s all said and done. He is a fantastic finisher around the rim, and his size makes him tough to score on down low. He has one of the highest ceilings of any player in the 2025 NBA Draft class.
Duke’s incoming recruiting class
Duke’s 2025 recruiting class is loaded. The Blue Devils finished with the top-ranked recruiting class last cycle, and this upcoming class is also ranked No. 1 overall by 247Sports. The headliner of this class is five-star forward Cameron Boozer, the son of Duke and NBA legend Carlos Boozer. Cameron’s brother, Cayden Boozer, is also a member of this upcoming recruiting class.
No. 3 Cameron Boozer
Boozer is a projected top-three pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and is one of the most accomplished players in high school basketball. Not many programs have the luxury of replacing the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft with another stud forward with future NBA Draft pedigree of their own, but the Blue Devils are on that shortlist.
No. 15 Nikolas Khamenia
The five-star forward out of Studio City, Calif., was a McDonald’s All-American selection. He committed to Duke over UCLA, Arizona, North Carolina and Gonzaga, among others.
No. 24 Cayden Boozer
The brother of Cameron Boozer is a fantastic prospect in his own right. Boozer, the No. 24 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class by 247Sports, committed to Duke over Miami. Boozer should provide Duke with valuable guard depth next season.
Duke recruits no longer committed
No. 14 Shelton Henderson (Committed to Miami)
The five-star forward out of Bellaire, Texas, has great size for the forward position with a 6-10 wingspan. It was reported on Thursday that Henderson will be seeking his release from his NLI. Henderson committed to Miami shortly after.
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