Preseason expectations · published October 29, 2026
What to expect from Duke in 2026–27
The locked preseason projections, timestamped before the opener and graded all season on the projection tracker. Below them: what the two exhibitions showed.
Locked projections
Patrick Ngongba II
14.5 PPG
About 27 minutes, about 8 FGA a game Raised from 12.6 PPG after the two exhibitions, before the regular season.
Projections by Lukà. Exhibitions are not graded.
Exhibition signals
Exhibition
Duke 103, Tennessee 64
October 20 · vs. Tennessee
Exhibition Duke 90, Kansas 84
October 25 · at Kansas
| Player | Projected PPG | Exhibition PPG | Exh. MPG | Exh. FGA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Blackwell | 16.4 | 20.5 | 24.0 | 10.0 |
| Patrick Ngongba II | 14.5 | 20.5 | 25.5 | 9.0 |
- Same starting five in both games: Blackwell, Sarr, Ngongba, Boumtje Boumtje, Boozer.
- Cam Williams: 18 min, then 2 min, the biggest minutes swing of the exhibitions.
- Availability: Caleb Foster returned from an ankle injury and played 15 minutes at Kansas; Scharnowski did not appear in either exhibition.
- Bench minutes: 8 and 5 reserves played in the two games.
All numbers are recorded by hand from the official goduke.com box scores linked on each game page.