Just a couple of days ago, Duke Blue Devils’ superstar freshman, Cooper Flagg, made a huge announcement about his future. The 18-year-old Wooden Award winner and long-presumed No. 1 pick declared for this season’s NBA Draft on Monday. This sent shockwaves not just in the college basketball circuit but through the entire hoops world. Many believed that Flagg would return for another year with the Blue Devils, as despite winning several individual accolades, he failed to win the coveted national championship.

That hope came crashing down when Flagg made the announcement. While the future seems bright for the big man, it has cast a shadow over the program run by Jon Scheyer.

That’s because, according to ESPN’s latest NCAA men’s basketball team rankings, Duke has fallen to the 11th spot, with the Purdue Boilermakers occupying the No. 1 spot. Meanwhile, the team that eliminated Duke from the Final Four of the March Madness tournament, the Houston Cougars, is second on the list.

This has raised several concerns for the Duke team heading into its fourth year under Jon Scheyer’s guidance. While Cooper Flagg’s exit has had a massive impact on the team’s future, unfortunately, it isn’t the only one. Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach have also said their goodbyes to the program. Moreover, Sion James has exhausted his college eligibility, and star guard Tyrese Proctor will also be turning pro.

With that, the Blue Devils are looking at a major overhaul in their starting lineup, and that isn’t good news for Jon Scheyer. And while this is the reason behind the drop in the newest college program rankings, it’s not all bad. After all, Jon Scheyer has made some tough roster decisions before as well. He had to let go of the likes of Jeremy Roach, Mark Mitchell, and a few others to build around Flagg. By doing so, he turned the Blue Devils into one of the biggest, fastest, and strongest teams.

Sure, Cooper Flagg might not be in their ranks anymore, but the Duke head coach has a clear blueprint of how to build a successful roster. Additionally, he’ll get a significant boost with Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster’s return to Durham. Evans has been compared to the likes of Brandon Ingram. However, he did not get much of a chance as he averaged just 13.7 minutes. Meanwhile, Foster broke into the starting five but was replaced by Sion James. So, the upcoming season will be massive for both the young stars. But the question is, will they be able to prove themselves, or will Cooper Flagg and others’ exit prove too much of an ask?

Can Jon Scheyer’s Blue Devils overcome the setback of Cooper Flagg’s exit?

Well, if we’re being honest, the next season might be a bit tricky for Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils, especially after so many departures. Scheyer has now lost three of his starters from last season. This also puts things into perspective as to why ESPN and other media outlets don’t rate them highly. However, there are also a few bright spots as well. First would be the return of Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster, both of whom could be really important pieces this season. On the other hand, Duke’s 2025 recruiting class is stacked with talent. In fact, they are one of the best in the country, according to 247Sports.

Given how successful Duke’s 2024 recruiting class has proven to be, the upcoming batch will have high expectations with their arrival in Durham. The poster boy of Duke’s upcoming class will be five-star rated forward Cameron Boozer. He’s the son of NBA legend Carlos Boozer. Meanwhile, his brother Cayden Boozer is also a member of the upcoming class. Cameron is expected to be a top-three pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and one of the most accomplished players in the high school basketball circuit. Not many programs have the luxury of replacing a No. 1 draft pick with another superstar in the making, but Jon Scheyer’s Duke isn’t like any other program.

Nikolas Khamenia is also another five-star forward who’ll be joining Duke’s program for the upcoming season. He committed to the Blue Devils over UCLA, Arizona, North Carolina, and Gonzaga, among others. Overall, assessing Duke’s returning players and their star-studded upcoming class, it’s safe to say that they have a bright future even after losing Cooper Flagg and a few other star players.

It will be interesting to see how Jon Scheyer approaches the upcoming season with all these exits and incomings. Moreover, everyone will also keep a close eye on Duke’s transfer activities as they gear up for another eventful season.