Compared to other programs in college basketball, Duke was pretty silent in the transfer portal, losing just two players – Darren Harris and Nikolas Khamenia – while adding two quality pieces in John Blackwell and Dave Scharnowski.

It was all Jon Scheyer needed to do with key pieces from last year in Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster, Dame Sar and Patrick Ngongba deciding to return for another season in Durham. And while the Blue Devils didn’t add as many pieces as some of the other top programs in the nation, the ones they did add were good enough to have Duke seen as one of the favorites for the national title this upcoming season.

At Busting Brackets, the Blue Devils were called one of the winners of the transfer portal.

“The approach for the Duke Blue Devils is as calculated as it gets. Instead of chasing volume, Duke targeted exact needs and filled them with high-end talent. John Blackwell is one of the most impactful guards to change teams this offseason, bringing scoring, toughness, and Big Ten experience that should translate immediately. Drew Scharnowski complements that with efficiency and frontcourt versatility. It’s a small class, but it’s surgical. Duke didn’t just add talent. It added pieces that make sense for how it wants to play.”

Those two newcomers, the core from last season and the incoming recruiting class, ranked No. 1 in the 2026 recruiting cycle, will have Duke fans dreaming of another national title.

This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Duke labeled as a winner in transfer portal