Duke got a real test on Sunday, and it answered it the right way.
After rolling through Belmont and Tennessee in its first two preseason games, the Blue Devils ran into No. 17 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse and had to work for it.
Duke still walked out with a 90-83 exhibition win, but this one looked and felt different. The second half was where the Blue Devils separated themselves.
One of the biggest takeaways came from freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, who had a much tougher time getting comfortable offensively than he did in Duke’s first two preseason outings. Kansas made him earn everything, using physical defense to force difficult looks for the seven-footer. He wasn’t nearly as involved as a scorer, but his defensive value showed up in a big way.
Boumtje Boumtje spent time defending Kansas’ 6'8" 5-star freshman guard Tyran Stokes and Melvin Council on the ball, and that versatility jumped off the floor. It was not spotless, and there figures to be an adjustment period as he gets used to the physical side of college basketball, but the ability to switch and cover different types of players was impossible to miss.
For Jon Scheyer, that kind of piece is rare. A seven-footer who can check an opponent’s facilitator gives a coach a very unusual weapon.
Inside, Duke saw its first real dose of resistance this preseason.
High-percentage shots around the rim were much harder to come by, but Patrick Ngongba stepped up and led the Blue Devils with over 20 points. He looked stronger and more comfortable, using his revamped frame and improved footwork to carve out space and finish through contact. He also handled the physicality Kansas brought.
Ngongba’s growth wasn’t just about scoring. The junior big man has a real chance to be one of Duke’s best passers this season, and that showed up when the Jayhawks crowded him near the basket. He can operate as a true anchor inside and still find cutters when the defense collapses.
This was a useful reality check for Duke after two blowout preseason wins. It beat Belmont by 40 points on Oct. 8 and followed that with a 39-point exhibition win over No.
8 Tennessee, so the early returns had been glowing. Sunday brought a different kind of lesson.
Playing a ranked team on the road in a packed building this early gives a young group something meaningful to handle. Scheyer and his staff learned plenty about their team in Lawrence, even if the bigger picture still looks very good this late in October.
In Other News...
Dukes Overachieving Start Is Being Driven By An Unexpected Group
Dukes strong start has not just been about a few returning faces settling into bigger roles. A surprising core of transfer additions has helped shape the Blue Devils identity on both sides of the ball, with wideout Jonah Burton emerging as the teams leading receiver after stops at Baylor and Idaho State. He has given the passing game a reliable target, while Rutgers transfer CJ Campbell has added balance as a complementary back.
The impact has been just as noticeable in the secondary, where cornerbacks Kyon Loud and Dylan Flowers have become key pieces after arriving from Montana and Western Kentucky. Their presence has helped stabilize a defense that looks more comfortable and more competitive than it did a year ago. For Duke, the story of this fast start keeps circling back to a group that did not arrive together, but has quickly become central to what the team is building. [Read more 🡒]
Dukes Allen Fieldhouse Win Made Two Early Difference-Makers Hard To Ignore
The most encouraging part of Dukes early preseason run is not just that it handled Belmont and Tennessee before outlasting Kansas in the toughest test yet, but that the Blue Devils are already getting meaningful production from a couple of players who were not expected to carry the entire load. Junior center Patrick Ngongba looked far more imposing inside, finishing with 28 points and 10 rebounds while showing the kind of physicality and passing that can make him more than just a paint presence. Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell also made his mark, scoring 23 points with a style that fit the moment because he did not try to force much of anything.
Against Kansas, that balance mattered. Duke also cleaned up one area that had the potential to tilt a close game the other way, shooting 81.8% from the line in a victory that turned into a useful early measuring stick. The longer this preseason stretch goes on, the more these two stand out as players who can change the look of the rotation, which makes the next test worth watching closely for a team still sorting out how its pieces fit. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Just Got Two Weekend Wins Fans Should Feel Good About
Duke picked up a pair of morale-boosting weekend wins, and both came in ways that should leave the fan base feeling encouraged about where things are headed. On the football side, the Blue Devils survived a close one against Virginia by leaning on a late trick play, with Walker Eget finding Nate Sheppard on a double pass before Sheppard hit Brody Keefe for a touchdown that swung the game.
Patrick Smith-Young then finished it off with an interception on Virginias final possession, giving Duke a hard-earned finish in a game that could have gone either way. On the hardwood, the Blue Devils kept the momentum rolling by going on the road and beating Kansas 90-84 in an exhibition, with Patrick Ngongba and John Blackwell leading the way as preseason play wrapped up and the regular season drew near. [Read more 🡒]