Duke entered the 2026 Champions Classic with all the usual polish that comes with a No. 2 ranking and a favorite’s label. None of it mattered once Michigan State punched first. The Blue Devils were down big within minutes, spent the rest of the night chasing, and never found the response they needed in a 79-73 loss that handed them their first defeat of the season.
There’s no disgrace in getting beat by Tom Izzo’s team, but Duke left the floor with a few obvious problems staring back at it. The Spartans exposed them early, and the Blue Devils never fully recovered.
The biggest issue started inside with Patrick Ngongba. He reportedly had been dealing with an illness before the game, though he still started and logged 29 minutes.
The box score shows 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but that doesn’t tell the full story. He struggled to finish around the rim even when he had a clear edge against Michigan State’s front line.
The illness buys him some grace, but Duke didn’t get the kind of interior production it needed, and the rest of the forwards didn’t pick up the slack either.
Dame Sarr’s night was just as damaging in a different way. The sophomore wing had been building momentum in the early part of the season, scoring in double figures in each of the first couple of games.
Against Michigan State, though, he disappeared. He finished with six points, had three turnovers, and made just one field goal.
It was the kind of performance that could have helped his NBA Draft stock, but instead the Spartans shut him down and took away one of Duke’s most promising weapons.
The backcourt didn’t provide enough help, either. John Blackwell had an ordinary night by his standards, finishing with 17 points on 6-for-16 shooting.
Compared with the rest of Duke’s guards, though, that was almost a bright spot. Caleb Foster and Cayden Boozer combined for 15 points on 4-for-15 shooting, and that kind of production simply wasn’t enough with Ngongba limited and Sarr ineffective.
Duke also couldn’t solve Jeremy Fears Jr. on the other end, which only made the offensive issues harder to survive. The Blue Devils still have the look of a team that can chase a national title, but this was a reminder that they’re nowhere near untouchable.
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