“Duke because of the coach”, “Kentucky and it’s not close”: College hoops fans debate about reloaded squads of 2 college basketball giants

Duke and Kentucky are two of the most successful college basketball programs in history. The Blue Devils have won five national championships, whereas the Wildcats have won eight. However, neither has lived up to expectations in recent years.

Despite a Final Four finish last season, not winning it all with Cooper Flagg was a disappointment for Duke. As for the Wildcats, they have not reached the Elite Eight since 2019. While both have had disappointing recent results, there is hope that after reloading this offseason that they could both be back in contention next season.

Fans made their predictions for which team will be better next season in the comments on Instagram.

"Kentucky and it’s not close," one fan wrote.

"Duke because of the coach," one fan commented.

"Kentucky has backups for their backups at every position. Kentucky will be able to keep fresh players on the floor at all times that could put significant minutes at any other program," one fan added.

Fans continued to make their predictions in the comments.

"Duke has guys that will be better Nba prospects but I think Kentucky is a better team at this level," one fan wrote.

"Kentucky. Duke had a better team last year and didn't do a damn thing with it per usual," one fan commented.

"Duke. Duke will be elite on defense again. Kentucky will be cheeks on defense all offense and pope just can’t coach," one fan added.

Image via the comments of the Instagram post.

Looking at Duke and Kentucky ahead of the 2025-26 season

Duke and Kentucky both loaded up in the offseason but in different areas. The Blue Devils excelled in recruiting, picking up some of the top recruits in the nation. Their most notable addition was Cameron Boozer, who is the No. 3-ranked recruit in the nation. However, they also added other top recruits like Nikolas Khamenia and Cayden Boozer.

Conversely, Kentucky's top recruit was Jasper Johnson, who is the No. 24-ranked player nationally, according to 247Sports, but lands behind all of Duke's top three recruits. However, the Wildcats excelled in the transfer portal, bringing in several significant transfers, including Arizona State's Jayden Quaintance, who was one of the top players in the portal.

Heading into the 2025 season, both Duke and Kentucky should contend in their respective conferences. They have improved rosters from last season and will likely be top contenders in the NCAA tournament by the time it comes around.