Duke didn’t just open its preseason with a win Thursday night. It introduced a new name that could change the way opponents have to defend the Blue Devils.
Sophomore Dame Sarr and freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje each poured in 19 points as No. 2 Duke rolled past Belmont 102-62 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The margin was never in doubt, but the bigger takeaway may have been Boumtje Boumtje’s arrival as an immediate scoring threat.
The freshman’s line was the kind that gets attention fast: 19 points, seven rebounds, and a share of the team lead in scoring with Sarr. Duke came into the exhibition with the spotlight on its returning core and its more familiar newcomers, but Boumtje Boumtje made sure he wasn’t just part of the background.
Patrick Ngongba II added seven rebounds of his own and paced the Blue Devils with four assists. Duke put five players in double figures, a sign of the kind of balance that can make life miserable for defenses once the games start counting. If opponents load up on the usual scoring options, there now appears to be another Blue Devil ready to punish them.
Even without Caleb Foster and Drew Scharnowski, Duke still had plenty of firepower. The Blue Devils scored 49 points in the first half and 53 in the second, while the defense held Belmont to 62 total points and just 25 before halftime. Matthew Zobrist led the Bruins with 11 points.
The game also carried a coaching wrinkle: Belmont head coach Evan Bradds previously worked on Scheyer’s staff at Duke.
It was a very different night from the teams’ past meetings. Duke beat Belmont by one point in the 2008 NCAA Tournament and again by a single point in 2011. Thursday’s version had none of that drama.
Exhibition results don’t count in the standings, and tougher tests are still coming. But Duke got the kind of first look it wanted, and Boumtje Boumtje gave the Blue Devils another player worth tracking as the 2026-27 season moves closer.
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Dukes Preseason Debut Hinted At A Team Fans Will Love
Dukes preseason debut offered an early look at a roster that already seems to fit the way Jon Scheyer wants to play. In a 102-62 scrimmage win over Belmont, the Blue Devils leaned on a 10-player rotation, pushed the pace and controlled the glass, with the kind of energy and depth that can make a long season feel a lot more manageable.
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and Dame Sarr each scored 19 points, giving Duke multiple ways to create offense and a balanced feel throughout the lineup. The rebounding edge and the overall versatility were just as encouraging as the scoring, and while it was only a preseason outing, it was the sort of performance that can leave fans imagining a team with plenty of options once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Duke May Have Found An Early Frontcourt Answer Under Scheyer
Dukes preseason scrimmage against Belmont offered an encouraging first look at how Jon Scheyers group might start to take shape in the frontcourt. At Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils mixed returning pieces with new transfers and still looked comfortable from the opening stretch, building a 49-25 halftime lead behind active defense and steady free throw shooting.
The most eye-catching development came from Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, who looked like an immediate interior factor with 14 points and five rebounds in the first half. For a team trying to sort out its early rotation and find reliable size inside, that kind of production in a live setting is exactly the sort of sign Scheyer can build on, even if there is still plenty left to learn before the games count. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Can Earn Real ACC Respect With This Road Test
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The Yellow Jackets have had their own issues this season, which gives Duke a real opening to leave Atlanta with more than just a conference win. A convincing road performance would do more than pad the record, too, because it would start to shape how the rest of the league talks about the Blue Devils heading into the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]