By: Ben McCormick and Duke Wisdom Network
Contributors: AC (5PointPlayPodcast), Michael Craver, Derrien Hinton, Ty Scott, Shaun Smith, Jeremy Wilson, Caleb Zuver
June 25, 2024
It's the time of year where the entire Duke fanbase pours over their screens to watch the small snippets of scrimmages the team puts out. It's also the time of year in which we overanalyze those videos and fire off our hot takes.
Like the devotion to the scrimmage videos, this list is becoming an annual tradition here at Duke Wisdom. Each member of the Duke Wisdom Network was asked to rank all fifteen of Duke's players on the 2024-25 roster. This is far from a new task for them. Last season, we produced a preseason, midseason and end of season ranking of the roster. But this year is uniquely challenging because there are only two rotation players from last year returning (Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster).
With a roster so talented and diverse, there was perhaps more variations in rankings on this list than ever before. Still, three spots managed to be unanimous decisions: No. 1, 2 and 15. You can guess who you think those guys are, or you can just scroll down and check out the rankings.
Stick around for the end of the article where I'll provide each individual ballot for each voter listed at the top of the article.
All pictures from Duke Athletics / DukeMBB on Instagram
15.) Stanley Borden
Average Rank: 15.00 (unanimous)
High Rank / Low Rank: 15/15
2023-24 Stats: DNP
Borden is the first of the three unanimous placements, but it doesn't feel like the 7-foot, saxophone playing, bilingual, nanotech guru has had much opportunity to earn a spot higher than this.
The Turkish center is the final remaining player to suit up for both Mike Krzyzewski and Jon Scheyer, although he only played one minute in one game in 2021-22 under Krzyzewski, and just two minutes in one game under Scheyer as a sophomore. Tallying just one career rebound and zero points, Borden did not register a single minute as a junior. Now, the senior walk-on hopes to find some minutes this season.
He has always seemed to be glued to the bench with Scheyer opting to give garbage time interior minutes to Christian Reeves, Sean Stewart and Neal Begovich. For all the Borden fans out there, let's hope Scheyer gives him a chance this season, he was on Portugal's U20 team after all. The guy can play, I say let him try.
14.) Neal Begovich
Average Rank: 13.875
High Rank / Low Rank: 13/14
2023-24 Stats: 8 games played, 0.3 ppg
It's not often that a team's two worst players are 7-footers, but here we are. Begovich is entering his second season at Duke after transferring from Stanford last Spring. He saw spot minutes in blowouts and was able to tally three points on the season. The walk-on decided to use his final year of eligibility in what is his sixth year in college (earned two extra seasons via COVID and a redshirt in separate seasons).
He should have a similar role as last season as he and the next guy on this list try to get a bucket in the waning moments of the game that are sure to rile up the Crazies.
13.) Spencer Hubbard
Average Rank: 12.75
High Rank / Low Rank: 11/14
2023-24 Stats: 10 games played, 0.6 ppg
Outside of Jared McCain, Hubbard may have been been the biggest fan favorite. His three-pointer from from top of the key was reminiscent of Tyus Jones' shot in the 2015 National Championship game that was depicted on the cover of Sports Illustrated. It may not have been as impactful, but it made fans lose their minds all the same.
Hubbard is a bit of an outlier on the team in terms of height. At 5-foot-8, not only is he one of the shortest Duke basketball players during the modern era of basketball, he is also the only player on the 15-man roster this season under 6-foot-5. On a roster of giants, Hubbard stands alone.
Don't get it twisted though, Hubbard can ball. His handling skills and confident shot taking stood above almost every walk-on at Duke in recent memory (besides Justin Robinson), that's what helped earn him a scholarship last season. Now as one of just three returning scholarship players, Hubbard has earned the respect of the Duke Wisdom voters, with one ballot putting him as high as 11.
12.) Cameron Sheffield
Average Rank: 12.25
High Rank / Low Rank: 12/13
2022-23 Stats (at Rice): (Injured in 2023-24): 31 mpg, 8 ppg, 6 rpg, 43% FG, 77% FT, 37% threes, 44/50 ATO, 11 blocks, 29 steals
The final piece to the puzzle, Sheffield is too good to be a team's twelfth best player. But again, here we are.
He missed the entirety of last year at Rice due to injury, but the 6-foot-6 super senior was putting up 7.6 points per game in around 31 minutes of action his last time out for the Owls. He is a valuable asset for Duke, both as a veteran presence in the locker room and practice, as well as a muscle flex of Duke's depth.
Sheffield's role feels similar to former Harvard transfer Kale Catchings who played limited minutes in 2022-23 for the Blue Devils, but was clearly a talented player. Perhaps too talented to play so sparingly. Sheffield will likely fit that exact description this season.
11.) Darren Harris
Average Rank: 10.50
High Rank / Low Rank: 9/12
2023-24 Stats: N/A
Harris will have a late start to the offseason after rehabbing from surgery on a fractured left hand. Duke announced the top 50 freshman, who was noticeably missing from those first practice videos, had undergone surgery on his non-shooting hand on June 18.
When he returns, Harris will have his work cut out for him in terms of breaking into the rotation. Duke is stacked on the wings, and they have shooters: Evans, Knueppel, James, Gillis, etc. However, if we're talking shooters, I'm not sure if you can get better than Harris, so if there are minutes to earn, he has the skill to earn them.
Don't let his ranking fool you, Harris is talented. He was the Virginia Mr. Basketball last season as he led Paul VI to the National Championship Game. He was also the 2023 Peach Jam MVP. With those accolades, it's hard to imagine that he is Duke's lowest rated player and only 11th on this list. He is though. And there are multiple reasons for that.
The explanation of his ranking in high school is easy: he was drastically underrated. His ranking on this list is more nuanced. A lot of the voters for the DWN think the other wings are more ready, but that doesn;t mean we think Harris is bad. Far from it. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see him in regular rotation, but it isn't an easy path.
This ranking is more due to availability of opportunity rather than basketball ability.
10.) Patrick Ngongba II
Average Rank: 10.00
High Rank / Low Rank: 9/11
2023-24 Stats: N/A
There are really only three true bigs on this team, with scholarships at least (sorry to Borden and Begovich). Those guys are Maluach, Brown and Ngongba. Two of those guys are likely starters or at the very least, a sixth man. Ngongba, who stands at 6-foot-11, is a little bit behind the other two bigs, and a lot of that is due to his extensive injury history in high school.
However, Ngongba will have opportunity as a reserve this season. His skillset is clear, diverse and powerful. Ngongba can score in the paint and is working toward extending his game for jump shots. Much like Harris, this Paul VI product finds himself in the double-digits on this list because there are guys who are more ready, not becasue he isn't capable.
Ngongba is good enough to start, or at least he will be eventually, once he shakes off all the dusts from those injuries (and as long as he avoids injury again). Maluach and Brown are just more likely to get the minutes from the jump. I'd liken Ngongba to Stewart's role last season. Not because of play style, but in terms of opportunity, I think they will be similar.
9.) Kon Knueppel
Average Rank: 8.875
High Rank / Low Rank: 7/11
2023-24 Stats: N/A
The Athletic's Sam Vecenie recently said Knueppel will appear in his initial 2025 NBA mock draft set to drop the day after this year's draft. He also said he believes Knueppwl will be Duke's second best freshman this year, which means Vecenie (who has evaluated a lot of talent, and done so with great accuracy in most cases), thinks Knueppel will be better than Maluach and Evans. That's high praise.
The minds of Duke Wisdom disagreed with Vecenie's assertion, at least for now. At the moment, he is the fourth highest ranked freshman on the list, but the early returns on the all-showing scrimmage reels have been impressive for Knueppel.
Like Vecenie said in the aforementioned Tweet, there are questions about Knueppel's defense, but his shooting will translate to college and the NBA. Last year's Mr. Basketball in Wisconsin, Knueppel feels like he will be a more polished version of TJ Power this season.
He's listed at 6-foot-7, which means he's grown since the end of high school and has a lot of NBA promise. I can't help but making comparisons, so I'll do one more: he will be somewhere between National Championship Game Grayson Allen and TJ Power. There will be defensive concerns, like with Power, but Knueppel is more polished. That fact alone makes me confident that he will surpass Power's production. I like his motor, but it will be difficult for him to raise above Allen's level of play in the 2015 Final Four, but I'd love to be proven wrong.
8.) Mason Gillis
Average Rank: 7.75
High Rank / Low Rank: 6/10
2023-24 Stats (at Purdue): 21 mpg, 7 ppg, 4 rpg, 48% FG, 86% FT, 47% threes, 66/32 ATO, 1 block, 9 steals
On a recent episode of The Brotherhood Podcast featuring Scheyer and Jay Bilas, Scheyer said he and his staff had a conversation about what kind of guy they needed / wanted on their team. Scheyer said that head associate coach Chris Carrawell explicitly mentioned Gillis as the kind of guy Duke needed: tough, experienced and skilled. That's why when Gillis entered the portal, Scheyer immediately called Purdue head coach Matt Painter and asked about the graduate forward.
Gillis was the Big 10 Sixth Man of the Year for the the National Runner-up Boilermakers while shooting an impressive 46.8% from three. He isn't likely to start at Duke or average double-digit points, however, he is likely to have a positive impact for Duke on and off the court.
His experience and toughness is invaluable, and it was something last year's team was desperately missing. Now Duke has those qualities in Gillis. The former Boilermaker has the chance to be the ultimate three-and-d guy for Duke this year.
7.) Isaiah Evans
Average Rank: 7.50
High Rank / Low Rank: 6/9
2023-24 Stats: N/A
You'll be hard pressed to find a player with as much moxie as Evans. The 6-foot-6 wing, nicknamed "Baby Ingram" after former Duke standout and NBA All-Star Brandon Ingram, has a slim build like Ingram and a game that is smooth as silk. He can fill up the box score in a hurry. In fact, the North Carolina Mr. Basketball dropped 62 points in a single game for North Mecklenburg this past year.
Evans isn't a player who has been on the national radar his whole life, he worked his way into it through exceptional play at the high school level over the last three years. Now, through his trash talk and memorable celebrations, he's already begun to capture the hearts of Duke faithful.
On pure talent alone, Evans is a clear starter. However, physicality is a concern that I think will keep him in a reserve slot. At just 175 lbs., defending on the wings and interior will prove difficult for Evans at times. At the moment, there are players better readied to defend and score at this level: namely veteran transfers like James, Gillis and Brown.
Still, the McDonald's All-American and N.C. native won't be ignored. His time will come.
6.) Khaman Maluach
Average Rank: 5.375
High Rank / Low Rank: 3/7
2023-24 Stats: N/A
That high rank of three for Maluach was my own doing, I own up to it, and at no point will I backtrack on that.
The 7-foot-2 South Sudanese NBA prospect's college decision was likely highly influenced by fellow Sudanese basketball legend and former Blue Devil, Luol Deng (he is wearing the number nine on his jersey, Deng's NBA number). He is a likely top five pick in the draft with a 9-foot-9 standing reach. There are reports that he is still growing, he is a prolific shot blocker with ball handling skills and the ability to stretch the floor with a three-point shot and mid-range game. All that said, how in the world is he sixth?
Well, I didn't put him here, but it's easy to see why other DWN members did. Malauch is raw. He chases blocks when he shouldn't. He doesn't have his defensive timing down just right yet. His offensive game, while impressive, could use a lot of work. His potential is through the roof, but it wouldn't be a surprise if he struggled a bit to start the season, much like Dereck Lively II did during his time in Durham.
I firmly believe Maluach not only has the potential to be the best player to come from this team, I believe he could be one of the best basketball players in the world at some point. However, he won't realize either of those objectives next season. Injuries permitting, it seems almost certain that Maluach will be a better NBA player than college player (he was trained to play in the league at NBA Academy in Africa after all). He'll mirror Joel Embiid in a lot of ways, in my opinion.
All that said, let's not sell his potential as a college center short. Maluach might take a few games to get adjusted, but his impact could be monumental once he figures everything out. Plus, he should have ample time to figure it out on the court, trial by fire style. There's no Ryan Young starting in his place, the early season will be trail time for Maluach.
5.) Maliq Brown
Average Rank: 5.00
High Rank / Low Rank: 4/6
2023-24 Stats (at Syracuse): 30 mpg, 10 ppg, 3 rpg, 70% FG, 72% FT, 37% threes, 59/41 ATO, 29 blocks, 71 steals
The only veteran player in the interior for Duke, Brown's value can't be understated. After a recent workout, the majority of his teammates attested that he was the best defender on the court, racking up deflections and making life difficult for the offense. That sentiment isn't surprising when you remember that Brown led the ACC in steals last year at Syracuse.
After dropping 26 points on Duke last year, Brown was on Scheyer's radar. Once he entered the portal, he was an obvious fit for Duke positionally and ideologically. Not only will Brown be a hard nosed defender, he will provide efficient and dependable offense. He won't score the most points, but when he gets looks, he'll make them count. In addition to leading the conference in steals a season ago, Brown bested the ACC in field goal percentage at a lofty 70% in 2023-24 too.
From the jump, I'd expect Brown to be Duke's most dependable player in the interior. His defense will help set the tone for a team that might find its identity on the defensive side of the ball.
4.) Sion James
Average Rank: 4.75
High Rank / Low Rank: 3/6
2023-24 Stats (at Tulane): 37 mpg, 14 ppg, 5 rpg, 51% FG, 68% FT, 38% threes, 84/37 ATO, 23 blocks, 50 steals
Perhaps nobody has been more impressive in those early scrimmage videos than Tulane transfer Sion James. It's clear as day that James is already an NBA level talent, he has just lacked the exposure to make the dream a reality yet. That should soon change under the bright lights in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
I imagine James could have an impact similar to that of Harrison Ingram at North Carolina last year. James is strong and fantastically athletic. He can score at the rim and defend at all levels. Last season, he made a big jump as a shooter. That was the one thing scouts said he was really lacking, so he worked on it and got his three-point percentage up to a respectable 38%. If he can maintain or improve that, he should be in for a stellar season becasue his physicality translates to any conference, any level, anywhere.
James is a likely starter if Scheyer wants a more backcourt oriented team like I suspect he does. However, James allows a lot more diversity that a Roach-McCain-Proctor backcourt did last year. There was always a defensive mismatch last year. With James, that won't be the case, he can comfortably guard 1-4, and clearly can handle a big man, too (just see his block on Malauch in the scrimmage videos).
3.) Caleb Foster
Average Rank: 3.25
High Rank / Low Rank: 3/4
2023-24 Stats: 25 mpg, 8 ppg, 2 rpg, 44% FG, 69% FT, 41% threes, 58/29 ATO, 2 blocks, 16 steals
It was disappointing that Foster had to miss the end of the 2023-24 regular season and the entire postseason to say the least.
The freshman wasn't always the prolific scorer he was advertised as, but he showed flashes. A lot of his tendency to fade into the background was due to Duke's overcrowded point guard / combo guard position. When four guys do a similar thing, it becomes really hard for all of them to get buckets, no matter how good they are.
Foster has a high arching shot which is often unpredictable, but there might not have been a player on last year's team who was better at creating something out of nothing than Foster. He can go get his own shot. Defensively speaking, Foster will be surrounded by high level defenders, and his height (6-foot-5) should help him compete on that end. I would expect a boost in Foster's play on both ends as he assumes a more crucial role this year.
2.) Tyrese Proctor
Average Rank: 2.00 (unanimous)
High Rank / Low Rank: 2/2
2023-24 Stats: 30 mpg, 11 ppg, 3 rpg, 42% FG, 76% FT, 35% threes, 118/40 ATO, 3 blocks, 22 steals
As a sophomore the age of a freshman, Proctor was already a returning starting point guard and a team captain. To start the 2023-24 season, NBA scouts were impressed to say the least. His ability to score at all three levels, defend and distribute made pro teams think he could be a star backcourt player, akin to players like Tyrese Haliburton. Preseason, Proctor was tabbed as an All-American, with some thinking he may be the team's best player.
None of that came true. In fact, he fell off draft boards entirely and finished tied for fourth in Duke Wisdom's 2023-24 final team player rankings. Don't get it twisted though, just because he didn't meet the lofty, and I believe, unreasonable expectations, Proctor was still a very good player.
The 2023-24 squad was poorly constructed positionally, and Proctor struggled to find his footing offensively as a result. Five of the ten primary rotation players were point guard sized guards. All of them had to get their shots up, and so Proctor, who is a pass-first guard, took a backseat. That likely won't be the case next year when it's just he and Foster in the backcourt.
Regardless the reason for his underwhelming season, I want to clear something up: Proctor did not regress as a sophomore. Actually, he got much better. He just wasn't aggressive on the offensive side of the floor. Once he starts to put his entire offensive game together (i.e., the slashing, three-point shooting and mid-range footwork), he'll be a force to be reckoned with.
After reclassifying in the spring of 2022, Proctor was the last edition to Scheyer's core for the 2022-23. And Proctor's youth showed early. But as the season progressed, the 6-foot-5 Australian floor general grew into one of Duke's most important players, and the conductor of much of its half court offense.
As a freshman, Proctor struggled a bit shooting the ball, although he vastly improved as his career progressed. His defensive intensity was refreshing, but his ability to run the offense was his greatest asset. He proved in the 2024 NCAA Tournament he could be a high level scorer against James Madison, and then he proved he could be a high level defender against Houston.
We will likely finally see the All-ACC player we know Proctor can be this year. Think junior year Wendell Moore Jr. when setting expectations for him.
1.) Cooper Flagg
Average Rank: 1.00 (unanimous)
High Rank / Low Rank: 1/1
2023-24 Stats: N/A
Was there ever any doubt? The consensus No. 1 player in the class of 2024 and the consensus projected top pick in next year's NBA Draft was also the consensus pick at No. 1 on this list.
Flagg is a vibrant and aggressive competitor. He possesses shades of Christian Laettner (and Tyler Hansbrough, as much as that might hurt some fans to read). His desire to win is unmatched, it's evident in the way he plays. Not many star players are willing to do the dirty work, Flagg is.
While he is an incredibly impressive scorer at all three levels, and a good passer, it is his defense that sets him apart from other top five-star prospects in the past. His ball pressure and shot blocking will be a tone setter and game changer for Duke this year. In a lot of ways Duke will be as good as Flagg this year. Expect him to lead the Blue Devils in scoring.
And if things go as planned, he might become the sixth Blue Devil ever to hear his name called first in the NBA Draft.
Individual Ballots
Ben McCormick | Jeremy Wilson | Shaun Smith | 5PointPlayPodcast | |
1 | Cooper Flagg | Cooper Flagg | Cooper Flagg | Cooper Flagg |
2 | Tyrese Proctor | Tyrese Proctor | Tyrese Proctor | Tyrese Proctor |
3 | Khaman Maluach | Caleb Foster | Caleb Foster | Caleb Foster |
4 | Caleb Foster | Maliq Brown | Sion James | Sion James |
5 | Maliq Brown | Sion James | Maliq Brown | Maliq Brown |
6 | Sion James | Mason Gillis | Mason Gillis | Khaman Maluach |
7 | Mason Gillis | Khaman Maluach | Khaman Maluach | Isaiah Evans |
8 | Isaiah Evans | Isaiah Evans | Isaiah Evans (tie) | Kon Knueppel |
9 | Kon Knueppel | Patrick Ngongba II | Kon Knueppel (tie) | Mason Gillis |
10 | Patrick Ngongba II | Darren Harris | Patrick Ngongba II | Patrick Ngongba II |
11 | Darren Harris | Kon Knueppel | Darren Harris | Darren Harris |
12 | Cameron Sheffield | Cameron Sheffield | Spencer Hubbard | Cameron Sheffield |
13 | Spencer Hubbard | Spencer Hubbard | Cameron Sheffield | Neal Begovich |
14 | Neal Begovich | Neal Begovich | Neal Begovich | Spencer Hubbard |
15 | Stanley Borden | Stanley Borden | Stanley Borden | Stanley Borden |
Derrien Hinton | Caleb Zuver | Ty Scott | Michael Craver | |
1 | Cooper Flagg | Cooper Flagg | Cooper Flagg | Cooper Flagg |
2 | Tyrese Proctor | Tyrese Proctor | Tyrese Proctor | Tyrese Proctor |
3 | Sion James | Caleb Foster | Caleb Foster | Caleb Foster |
4 | Caleb Foster | Maliq Brown | Khaman Maluach | Khaman Maluach |
5 | Khaman Maluach | Sion James | Sion James | Maliq Brown |
6 | Maliq Brown | Isaiah Evans | Maliq Brown | Sion James |
7 | Isaiah Evans | Khaman Maluach | Kon Knueppel | Isaiah Evans |
8 | Kon Knueppel | Mason Gillis | Mason Gillis | Mason Gillis |
9 | Darren Harris | Patrick Ngongba II | Isaiah Evans | Kon Knueppel |
10 | Mason Gillis | Kon Knueppel | Darren Harris | Darren Harris |
11 | Patrick Ngongba II | Spencer Hubbard | Patrick Ngongba II | Patrick Ngongba II |
12 | Cameron Sheffield | Darren Harris | Cameron Sheffield | Cameron Sheffield |
13 | Spencer Hubbard | Cameron Sheffield | Spencer Hubbard | Spencer Hubbard |
14 | Neal Begovich | Neal Begovich | Neal Begovich | Neal Begovich |
15 | Stanley Borden | Stanley Borden | Stanley Borden | Stanley Borden |
Ben McCormick | @Duke_Wisdom | @BenMcC33
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