Duke didn’t waste any time separating itself from Tennessee on Tuesday night at Cameron Indoor. In an exhibition between two preseason Top 10 teams, the Blue Devils stormed out to a 29-6 lead and turned what could have been a high-level tune-up into a 103-64 blowout.
The game never had much of a chance to become a contest. Duke’s defense smothered Tennessee early and often, and the Volunteers had a hard time generating quality looks. For all the exhibition caveats, the mismatch was obvious from the opening tip.
Freshman Deron Rippey paced Duke with 21 points, while John Blackwell added 18. Dame Sarr scored 15, Patrick Ngongba finished with 13, and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and Sebastian Wilkins each chipped in 11 as the Blue Devils piled up a long list of double-figure scorers.
Duke is now 2-0 in exhibition play and has one more tune-up left before the regular season begins. That final preseason test comes Sunday on the road against Kansas, and the Blue Devils could have a notable reinforcement available by then.
Jon Scheyer said senior guard Caleb Foster has a chance to play against Kansas. Foster has missed the first two exhibition games because of injury, but he is closing in on a return.
Scheyer also said Foster is lobbying hard to get on the floor for Sunday’s game. Even if that doesn’t happen, Foster is expected back for the regular-season opener against Army on November 2nd.
Without him, Rippey, Blackwell, and John Blackwell have already given Duke a strong backcourt look. If Foster gets added to that mix, the Blue Devils’ guard rotation becomes even more dangerous.
The good news around Durham doesn’t stop there. Both Duke basketball programs are set to begin the year in the AP Top 5.
The men checked in at No. 2 in the preseason poll, trailing only Florida. On the women’s side, Kara Lawson’s team opens at No. 4 behind South Carolina, UConn, and USC.
Lawson is chasing the first national title in program history, and Duke’s path starts Tuesday, November 3rd against Green Bay. The schedule will not be gentle, either.
The Blue Devils will see No. 1 South Carolina, No.
2 UConn, No. 3 USC, No.
6 Texas, and No. 11 UCLA in non-conference play.
Duke also enters the NBA season with its usual heavy presence across the league. The Blue Devils have 26 former players on opening-day rosters, tying Kentucky for the most of any program. Those players are spread across 18 of the NBA’s 30 franchises, with the Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, and Phoenix Suns each carrying three former Duke players.
In Other News...
Duke Fans Finally Got An Answer On Kimari Robinsons Sideline Incident
A tense sideline moment during a recent game drew plenty of attention from Duke fans, and Manny Diaz addressed it afterward in clear terms. Kimari Robinson pushed his trainers hand away after getting frustrated while DaShawn Stone was down injured on the field, and Diaz said the reaction fell below the programs standards.
Robinson has since apologized both privately and publicly, and he also acknowledged the mistake in his own statement while expressing concern for Stone. For Duke, the important part now is that the matter is being handled internally, but the incident offered a glimpse of how quickly emotions can boil over when a teammate is hurt and the pressure is on. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Fans Have A New Reason To Watch Jake Dickert
Marylands decision to move on from Mike Locksley after a 2-5 start to the 2026 season closes a long chapter in College Park, but it also opens an important one for a program that now has to get its next hire right. Locksley went 39-54 over more than seven seasons, and the Terps are now in the market for a coach who can stabilize the program and give athletic director Jim Smith a successful first major hire.
Several names are already circulating, and one that will draw extra attention in the ACC is Jake Dickert. Along with Manny Diaz, Jason Eck, Bryant Haines, Mike Shanahan, Charles Huff, Brian Kelly and Dan Mullen, Dickert is being discussed as part of Marylands early pool of possible candidates, and the search will be closely watched by everyone in the league who understands how one move like this can ripple outward. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Guard Rotation Just Got More Complicated Before Kansas
Caleb Fosters return is beginning to edge back into the conversation for Duke, and that matters with Kansas on deck for the Blue Devils third exhibition game. The senior guard has missed the first two tuneups, but Jon Scheyer said Foster has a chance to play, a sign that his recovery is moving in the right direction as Duke inches closer to the games that count.
For a team that has already gotten solid production from its other guards, Fosters availability only adds another layer to an already crowded backcourt picture. Duke has handled his absence well so far, but the bigger question now is how the rotation settles once he is healthy enough to rejoin it, with Scheyer indicating Foster should be ready when the regular season opener arrives. [Read more 🡒]