Survey of college basketball coaches high on Duke's title hopes

Preseason practice hasn’t even begun yet, but Duke basketball is already being projected as one of the favorites to bring home the national title. 

The Blue Devils have a plethora of talent, with players returning such as Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr, Cayden Boozer and Patrick Ngongba. Newcomers such as John Blackwell, Drew Scharnowski and 5-star recruits Cam Williams, Deron Rippey Jr. and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje will provide even more of a spark for Jon Scheyer’s squad. 

CBS Sports recently surveyed close to 100 college basketball coaches on who the favorites should be heading into the season. Of course, Duke was right up there, garnering 16 percent of the votes and trailing only Florida (55 percent) in the poll.

But why will the Blue Devils be so powerful in 2026-27? Several coaches spoke about that.

• "Because they get the best players and the most talent. They came close the last couple of years and then (explicit) went out and spent big again. When you're paying guys so much money like they are, and you're getting them there, they should be great."
• "Can't believe I'm saying this, but if Duke's frontcourt is good AT ALL, they are in pole position."
• "I'm buying on Duke. Think they have the best blend of returning talent and acquisition. Plus, the way their year has ended the last two years in a collapse, they're due for some good luck."

After falling short in his first four years as Duke’s head coach, Scheyer might finally have the squad to take him to his first and the program’s sixth national title. 

This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Survey of college basketball coaches high on Duke's title hopes