The first week of the 2026-27 NBA season has already given Duke fans plenty to track, with several former Blue Devils wasting no time making their presence felt around the league.
Cameron Boozer is off to the loudest start of the group. The No. 3 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft has Memphis sitting at 4-0 through four games, and he has been a major part of that opening burst.
Boozer is averaging 14.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, and he also sits atop the NBA’s rookie ladder. His shooting has been rough at 27 percent from the field, but the Grizzlies have clearly gotten strong early production from the rookie they’re building around.
Jayson Tatum is putting together a big opening week of his own in Boston. The Celtics forward is averaging 28 points, 6.3 rebounds and 8 assists while shooting 43 percent from the floor. He already has a 40-point game in a win over the Brooklyn Nets, and he has also posted a 36-point night.
Cooper Flagg is right there with him among the former Duke standouts producing early. One year after winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, Flagg has started strong for the Dallas Mavericks.
He was on the verge of a triple-double against the Indiana Pacers before taking a hard foul that forced him out of the game. Flagg then missed only one game because of the injury and has since returned to the Mavericks’ lineup.
Through the season’s first stretch, he is averaging 25 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.
Khaman Maluach is getting an early opportunity in Phoenix, where former Duke center Mark Williams is sidelined. The Suns have played only three games so far, but Maluach has been active in all of them and is logging 23 minutes per game.
He’s averaging 7.7 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 53.3 percent from the field. The hope in Phoenix is that he can become the center of the future for a team still trying to sort things out.
In Other News...
Duke Fans Have One Huge Reason To Watch Asa Montgomery Today
There is plenty happening around Duke right now, but the spotlight today is on the recruiting trail, where five-star small forward Asa Montgomery is expected to announce his college commitment. For a program that keeps landing in the conversation for elite talent, this is the kind of decision that can shape both the immediate future and the long view, especially with the Blue Devils already carrying momentum from a roster that includes names like Kager Knueppel and Luke Paul.
The timing adds to the buzz, too, with former Duke standouts Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer off to strong starts in the NBA and the football program gearing up for a key home game against Boston College during a demanding stretch. Still, for basketball fans, Montgomerys announcement is the headline worth circling, because it could give Duke another major piece to build around and keep the programs talent pipeline rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Freshmen Just Gave Jon Scheyer A Real Rotation Problem
Duke is coming out of preseason with something every coach wants and every rotation chart hates: options. As the Blue Devils get ready to host Army in their regular-season opener, a handful of freshmen have already made the case that they belong in the mix, with Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Deron Rippey Jr., Cameron Williams and Bryson Howard all showing different flashes of what they can bring. For Jon Scheyer, the early challenge is less about finding talent than figuring out how to sort through it.
The upside is obvious, but so is the uncertainty that comes with freshmen learning the pace and demands of college basketball. Some of those roles figure to change from game to game as Duke settles in, which gives the staff flexibility but also creates a tricky balancing act once the games start counting. The opener should offer a first real look at how much trust Scheyer is willing to place in that young group right away. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Faces A Real Test As Boston College Brings New Momentum
Boston College is showing up to this Atlantic Coast Conference matchup with a little more life than its record might suggest, and Duke will have to be ready for it. The Eagles have pieced together back-to-back comeback wins, leaning on the kind of late-game resilience that can change the feel of a season, and now they get their first meeting with Duke since 2022 in a game that should tell both teams something.
For the Blue Devils, the timing is interesting after a close win over Virginia, the kind of game that can either sharpen a team or leave it vulnerable if the edge slips. Duke will be watching its own health as well, with Walker Eget expected to play despite a recent finger injury, while Boston College brings Mason McKenzie, Bo MacCormack III and a bit of momentum into a matchup that suddenly looks more demanding than it might have a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]