Duke’s first real test of the 2026-27 season landed in Chicago on Tuesday night, and Michigan State made sure the Blue Devils felt it from the opening tip.
After easy tune-ups against Army and Coastal Carolina, Duke ran into a far different level of resistance at the United Center. The Spartans controlled the game from start to finish and handed the Blue Devils a wire-to-wire loss that laid bare some early problems on both ends of the floor.
Jon Scheyer didn’t sugarcoat it afterward. “That wasn’t Duke basketball.”
He said he expects to get it corrected, and there’s reason to believe he will. Still, this is a talented team that has plenty of work ahead before it looks like a true contender.
The timing of the setback isn’t ideal, but it also isn’t fatal. It’s November.
These are the games that show a team exactly where it stands.
That wasn’t the only Duke storyline making noise this week. Florida State’s hiring of veteran administrator Jeff Purinton as its next Athletic Director has added more fuel to the Manny Diaz chatter. Purinton’s first major task will be finding a new football coach after Mike Norvell was let go a couple of weeks ago, and Diaz is expected to be among the top names in the mix.
Diaz’s ties to Florida State are obvious. He’s an FSU graduate, a former Seminoles assistant, and he got his coaching start in Tallahassee as a graduate assistant on Bobby Bowden’s staff in the late 90s.
Purinton was there at the same time, which only strengthens the connection between the two. Florida State will still do its due diligence and look at other candidates, but this development won’t do much to calm Duke fans.
There was better news for the Blue Devils on the field. Nate Sheppard was named the Doak Walker National RB of the Week for the second time this season, making him one of only two running backs in the country to earn the honor twice, alongside Missouri’s Jamal Roberts.
Sheppard earned it with a huge performance in Duke’s 45-3 win over NC State, piling up 217 rushing yards and three touchdowns as the Blue Devils moved to 7-2. He’s now second in the nation in rushing and first among Power Four backs with 1,189 yards.
And with Miami coming up this weekend, Sheppard has a chance to make an even louder statement. If he puts together another big outing and Duke pulls off the upset as a two-touchdown underdog, his Heisman Trophy stock is going to jump in a hurry.
In Other News...
Duke Heads Into Regionals With Both NCAA Hopes On The Line
The Duke cross country teams head to the 2026 NCAA Southeast Regional Championships on Friday at the University of South Carolina Upstate with a familiar kind of pressure, as both the men and women are still chasing spots in the NCAA Championships. The womens 6k race is set for 10 a.m., followed by the mens 10k at 11, and the meet will serve as the final gatekeeper before the national stage in Terre Haute, Indiana, on Nov. 21.
For Duke, the regional is about more than just one good day on the course. The article lays out the key athletes on both squads and the path each team must navigate to keep its season alive, with qualification hinging on how they stack up against a deep Southeast field. By the end of Friday, the Blue Devils should know whether both programs have done enough to extend their postseason run. [Read more 🡒]
Daniel Jones Sounds Frustrated As His NFL Comeback Takes Another Turn
Daniel Jones is still working his way back from an Achilles injury, but the bigger challenge around him may be the one unfolding in Indianapolis. The Colts recent trades have stripped away several familiar pieces on offense, and Jones made it clear he was not thrilled to see DeForest Buckner, Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and Quenton Nelson move on while he continues his recovery.
Even so, Jones is not sounding like a quarterback ready to wave off the season before it starts. He still believes the roster can compete, which matters with his two-year extension already in place and his long-term future in Indianapolis still unsettled beyond this year. For now, though, the comeback story is being shaped by a changing supporting cast as much as by Jones own rehab. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Recruiting Just Got More Complicated Than Fans Expected
Dukes early work on the recruiting trail is already starting to take shape for the 2027 class, with three commitments in hand and a familiar mix of high-end talent and long-term upside. The Blue Devils have landed five-star forwards Kager Knueppel and Asa Montgomery, along with Australian point guard Luke Paul, giving the staff a strong foundation before the cycle has even fully opened up.
But the next wave is where things get interesting, because Duke has been active with several top 2028 prospects as well, including five-star point guard Josiah Rose, who has drawn attention from multiple programs and already taken unofficial visits to SMU. The Blue Devils have also offered Colton Hiller, Yann Kamagate, Mason Collins and Brady Pettigrew, and with some of those names potentially moving up to 2027, the board could shift quickly in ways that make this recruiting picture a lot less settled than it first appeared. [Read more 🡒]