Tensions for Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer only seem to widen by the day. In a bid to lead Coach K‘s dream team to greater heights, Scheyer has already faced his share of criticism and the crushing Final Four defeat this year. Despite becoming ranking 2 in one of the most valuable college teams with a whopping $370 million in a recent spin of events, Scheyer and his team are in no mood to celebrate.

“The very first thing I wanna say is how proud I am to coach these two guys next to me, in our entire team. I mean, it’s been a special ride that ended in a heartbreaking way,” the emotional HC referred to Flagg and Cooper in an interview after a gut-wrenching last-minute defeat during the national championship earlier this year. And if this wasn’t enough, the HC has to bear witness to his best players, Tyrese Proctor and Cooper Flagg, participating in the upcoming NBA draft.

The coach, who has successfully transformed the Blue Devils into reigning ACC Champions, has a new problem to face- promising replacements for the team’s strongest players. Despite being crowned as one of the biggest teams with not even a single player to enter transfers this off-season, the Devils are ironically not one of the strongest standing rosters in the country at this point.

In the latest episode of The Field of 68: After Dark podcast, national reporter Jeff Goodman joined host Rob Dauster, and brutally pointed out the perils that Devils’ HC Jon Scheyer may have to face. Despite not losing a single player to the transfer portals this year, the fact that Duke’s star player Cooper Flagg is progressing to the pros is enough for any other team to oust them in the upcoming seasons.

“Their roster doesn’t terrify me“, Goodman began. “If I’m a team in the ACC right now- a Louisville or a Carolina, it’s not like last year, they scared the s*** out of me. And maybe because Cooper Flagg was just different than the Boozers. Cameron has gotten much better in terms of being able to step out and make shots but he’s just not Cooper Flagg.”

The Boozer twins are the only promising standouts who committed to Devils against Miami in 2024 and the team is heavily relying on their performance to save the grace next season. As a six-feet-nine forward, Cameron Boozer boasts an average of 22.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.1 blocks per game during his senior high school year.

On the other hand, point guard and twin brother Cayden Boozer‘s senior high school stats showcase an average of 12 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game.

However, according to Goodman, even the two talents combined are no substitute for Flagg, who has an average score of 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per 37 games as of 2024-25 season. The roster was in safe hands as long as it had players like Proctor and Flagg. But with them in draft projections and losing two committed potentials, Scheyer is in a tight spot as he needs to utilise the transfer portals and acquire someone with similar skill sets before getting sidelined by other teams next year.

“And you look at the rest of the roster it’s good, It’s good! But like again you look at these guys and you’re like, Isaiah Evans will he take a jump? I think they need more. I think if I’m Jon Scheyer, I got to get another dude out of the portal. And there aren’t that many dudes left,” Goodman argued.

Well, the team already lost Nate Ament, a promising high schooler, who de-committed to Tennessee and another talent, Shelton Henderson to Miami. However, the Devils are also set to welcome a good set of freshmen like Malik Brown from the portal, as the likes of Isaiah Evans, Darren Harris, and Patrick Ngongba II are set to return to the program. But are these retentions enough to strengthen the roster and change the team’s scenario? Or is Scheyer headed towards another heartbreak?

But every cloud has a silver lining. Despite the ongoing tensions within the team, there is a moment of respite for the Blue Devils as they are recognised as one of the best programs in the country in terms of value.

What is Team Duke Blue Devil’s $370M Status?

National college analyst, Brad Crawford took to X (formerly Twitter) and released a list of fifteen most valuable college teams. Crawford wrote, “College basketball’s most valuable teams (WSJ),” before declaring the list on his social media account.

While the University of North Carolina tops the list with $378 million, the Duke Blue Devils isn’t far behind. The team made it to the second position on the list with a whopping value of $370 million. As one of the most financially sound programs in the country, the Devils off-court performance has also been nothing short of extraordinary.

The million dollar valuation stems from a number of factors such as the program’s performance over the years, their ticket sales and revenue collections. It also signifies their brand strength that they have built over the years through partnerships, sponsorships, and campaigns with well-known companies like Nike.

Moreover, the number also includes a 30% raise from a previous contract for the Devils. This comes after the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) joined hands with ESPN to extend the viewership. And guess who makes nearly $17 million from television rights? The answer is very obvious. With these financials, the team can focus on building a stronger program and focus on better equipments, facilities for the players and the staff as a whole.

Though this news comes as a respite in a drought for Scheyer and the team, will the coach be successful in propelling the Devils in the right direction and give a befitting reply to their competitors next season?