Duke’s non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season is loaded, and the headliners are the kind that make every trip feel like a test. The Blue Devils are set to run into three of the sport’s most dangerous players before league play even begins, with two of those matchups coming against what could be top-10 teams.
At No. 3, Silas Demary Jr. gets the nod over Illinois’ Andrej Stojakovic because of how much he figures to mean to UConn.
With Alex Karaban now in the NBA and Solo Ball out for the season, Demary will be carrying a huge load for the Huskies. His defense, toughness, finishing touch around the rim and overall feel for the game make him a serious problem, and there’s a real case that he could be the best point guard in college basketball next season.
Demary’s 2025-26 numbers back up the hype. He averaged 10.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 44.6% from the field and 38.5% from three on 2.3 attempts a night.
The 6-foot-4 guard also led the Big East with 229 assists and posted a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio. He’ll be a tough assignment for John Blackwell if that’s the matchup, and if Demary takes another step as a scorer, his stock will rise fast.
Duke and UConn meet Nov. 25 in Las Vegas.
The No. 2 spot goes to Jeremy Fears Jr., and there’s an argument he’s the best player in college basketball entering the season. The Michigan State guard led the country with 9.4 assists per game in 2025-26 while also putting up 15.2 points a night. He spent some time testing the NBA Draft waters before deciding to return to East Lansing, and his presence is exactly why Michigan State feels so tied to one player.
Fears can hurt teams in multiple ways, and Duke already got a taste of that last season. The Blue Devils beat Michigan State 66-60 in East Lansing, even though Fears handed out 13 assists.
The catch: he scored just six points and missed all 10 of his shots. That kind of split is exactly what Duke will try to force again when Scheyer and Tom Izzo meet in Chicago on Nov.
At No. 1, Florida’s Thomas Haugh sits alone.
He could have been a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but the source material says he could be making around $10 million to return to Gainesville, and that keeps him in the college game as maybe the best all-around player Duke will see in non-conference play. Haugh fills up a box score on both ends and does it from all over the floor.
Last season, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks while shooting 46.0% from the field and 32.6% from three on 5.2 attempts per game. He can swing a game in just about any way you want, and even on a Florida roster that’s probably the best in college basketball, he’s expected to be the team’s top option in most games.
Duke saw exactly what Haugh can do last season, when he scored 24 points and grabbed six rebounds in Florida’s 67-66 loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the ACC/SEC Challenge. The rematch comes Dec. 1 in the 2026 ACC/SEC Challenge, this time at Exactech Arena in Gainesville.
In Other News...
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Dukes first fall camp scrimmage gave Manny Diaz a little more to think about, and it came from the rookie class. Several freshmen flashed in their first real live work, a useful early sign for a roster that is still sorting out depth behind established starters and figuring out where younger players can carve out roles.
Among the standouts, linebacker Colsen Gatten made his presence felt on defense, while running backs Jayvian Tanelus and CJ Givers showed enough in the ground game to draw attention. The challenge now is turning that initial momentum into something more lasting, because early camp production is one thing and winning snaps once the rotation tightens is another. [Read more 🡒]
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Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer, Dame Sarr and Patrick Ngongba are expected to be important parts of that core, while transfers John Blackwell and Drew Scharnowski add more options to a group that does not have a transcendent superstar. That absence could make Duke look different from the most dominant versions of the program, but it also gives the Blue Devils a chance to win with balance and depth, which is exactly why some around the sport are already treating them like a real threat again. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Still Has One Big Battle To Settle After First Scrimmage
Duke is still sorting through a roster that has a lot of moving parts as fall camp rolls on toward the 2026 opener against Tulane, and the first scrimmage only sharpened the picture. Wide receiver Jaivon Solomon turned in a strong showing, defensive lineman Bryce Davis made his presence felt, and the running back room looked deeper than it has in some recent seasons, with multiple players getting work and contributing carries.
The biggest question remains in the passing game, where several receivers are fighting for starting jobs and for a clearer role in an offense that still needs definition. For the Blue Devils, that battle matters just as much as the early camp standouts, because settling the wideout rotation will go a long way toward telling the staff what this team can be when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]