Florida sits at No. 1 in every major ranking listed here, but the team drawing the most attention to win the 2027 NCAA Tournament is Duke.
That’s not about hype. It’s about the roster.
Duke’s talent level jumps off the page, starting with Adam Finkelstein’s latest 2027 NBA Mock Draft. Patrick Ngongba II is slotted ninth, Dame Sarr is 13th, and Cameron Williams is 17th - even though Williams came off the bench in Monday’s 84-50 season-opening win over Army. That gives the Blue Devils three projected top-17 picks before you even get to the rest of the group.
And the rest is stacked too. John Blackwell arrives after averaging 19.1 points last season for Wisconsin, which earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Cayden Boozer, a five-star recruit, started 11 games last season for a Duke team that went 35-3. Caleb Foster, another former five-star, started 30 games for that same squad.
Deron Rippey Jr. was ranked 12th in the Class of 2026 by 247Sports. Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, meanwhile, made his first regular-season appearance in a Duke uniform and delivered 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
Boumtje Boumtje is only 17 and won’t even be eligible for the 2027 NBA Draft. Even so, he’s being viewed as the favorite to go first in the 2028 draft.
So yes, Duke looks loaded.
That’s why the Blue Devils’ Thursday trip to Coastal Carolina stands out as the game I’m most interested in seeing. The slate is pretty thin, but this one offers another look at what may be the most talented roster in college basketball.
The top of the updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 still belongs to Florida, which stays No. 1 after Thomas Haugh put up 19 points and 10 rebounds in Monday’s 77-67 win over Miami. Duke follows at No. 2 after Dame Sarr scored 16 points with four rebounds in Monday’s win over Army.
Illinois is third after Andrej Stojakovic’s 20 points and seven rebounds in a 120-45 win over Fairleigh Dickinson. UConn is fourth, Kansas fifth, and Texas sixth. Michigan State checks in at No. 7 after Jeremy Fears Jr. had 13 points and 11 assists in a 96-59 win over Quinnipiac.
Louisville is eighth, Virginia ninth and Arkansas 10th. Gonzaga sits 11th after Davis Fogle scored 22 points and grabbed five rebounds in a 78-72 win over Purdue.
St. John’s is 12th, Houston 13th and UCLA 14th after Trent Perry posted 21 points and five assists in a win over Arizona.
Arizona drops to 15th after Derek Dixon missed 12 of his 17 shots in that loss to UCLA. Tennessee is 16th, Texas Tech 17th and Michigan 18th. Miami falls to 19th after Shelton Henderson missed 11 of 13 shots in the loss to Florida.
Kentucky is 20th, Alabama 21st, USC 22nd, Missouri 23rd, BYU 24th and Vanderbilt 25th.
In Other News...
Manny Diaz Just Gave Duke Fans A Reason To Stay Worried
Manny Diaz spent part of the week trying to quiet the kind of noise that tends to follow a coach when a bigger job opens up, publicly denying any interest in leaving Duke for Florida State after Mike Norvells departure. Diaz said he is happy in Durham and locked in on the current season, framing the chatter as nothing more than a distraction for a team trying to keep its footing.
Still, the speculation has lingered because Florida State is the kind of opening that naturally pulls a coachs name into the conversation, whether there is anything concrete behind it or not. For Duke, the concern is less about what has been confirmed and more about having to navigate another round of outside attention around a coach who has become central to where the program is headed. [Read more 🡒]
Duke's Walk-On Standout Is Suddenly In A Prestigious Award Race
A Duke offensive lineman has pushed his way into the conversation for one of college footballs most distinctive honors, earning a nomination for the 2026 Burlsworth Trophy. The award goes to the most outstanding player in the FBS who started his career as a walk-on, and it has become a meaningful marker for players who built their roles the hard way.
For Duke, the nomination is a reminder of how much value can come from the unheralded parts of a roster, especially along the offensive line. The selection committee will narrow the field later in the year before naming finalists, with the winner set to be unveiled at the December award show, leaving this Blue Devils storyline with plenty of runway still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Fosters Duke Fight Still Has One Bond Fans Will Love
Caleb Foster has become a familiar kind of holdover for Duke, the lone member of the programs 2023 recruiting class still in Durham after others turned pro or moved on. Injuries have interrupted his path, but he has worked his way back into the rotation and has recently been giving the Blue Devils useful minutes off the bench, a reminder that his story with this team is still very much being written.
Jared McCain may no longer be in the locker room, but the connection between the former teammates clearly has not faded. Foster continues to keep strong ties with the players he came in with, and McCain recently showed up to support him during a photoshoot, a small but telling sign of how much that class still means to one another even as their careers have started to branch off in different directions. [Read more 🡒]