Duke didn’t just beat Coastal Carolina on Thursday night. It steamrolled the Chanticleers 113-52 and kept rolling to 2-0 with another night that showed how overwhelming this team can be on the defensive end.
The Blue Devils were everywhere early. Coastal Carolina had almost no room to operate inside, and Duke turned mistakes into easy offense in a hurry.
By halftime, Jon Scheyer’s team had piled up 26 points in the paint, 21 fast-break points, nine steals, four blocks, and 21 points off 12 forced turnovers. That kind of pressure made the game feel out of reach fast.
Duke’s transition game looked sharper, too, even if turnovers still showed up. The Blue Devils didn’t force a ton of giveaways last season, but this group is already using opponents’ miscues to get out and run in 2026-27.
One of the more interesting developments through two games has been the point guard rotation. Caleb Foster was expected by some to open the year as the starter, but Cayden Boozer has started both contests.
Still, the label matters less than the minutes, and Foster gave Duke a strong lift off the bench on Thursday. The senior hit both of his first-half three-point tries and brought real edge on the perimeter defensively.
With Foster, Boozer, and Deron Rippey Jr. all making a case for playing time, Scheyer has options.
Patrick Ngongba was just as hard to miss. If he had gone pro, there’s a good chance he would have been a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but he came back and is now in position to be one of the best two-way centers in the country.
He was closing in on 30 points by the middle of the second half and did damage in a variety of ways. He hit a pair of threes, but most of his scoring came from the kind of work that wears opponents down: catch it inside, use the body, lean on the footwork, and finish the play.
Ngongba also spent time defending on the perimeter, where he showed he can hold up. How Scheyer chooses to deploy him in bigger games will be worth watching - whether that means keeping him near the rim, using him in drop coverage, or continuing to let him roam outside the paint on defense.
In Other News...
Manny Diaz Just Gave Duke Fans A Reason To Stay Worried
Manny Diaz spent part of the week trying to quiet the kind of noise that tends to follow a coach when a bigger job opens up, publicly denying any interest in leaving Duke for Florida State after Mike Norvells departure. Diaz said he is happy in Durham and locked in on the current season, framing the chatter as nothing more than a distraction for a team trying to keep its footing.
Still, the speculation has lingered because Florida State is the kind of opening that naturally pulls a coachs name into the conversation, whether there is anything concrete behind it or not. For Duke, the concern is less about what has been confirmed and more about having to navigate another round of outside attention around a coach who has become central to where the program is headed. [Read more 🡒]
Duke's Walk-On Standout Is Suddenly In A Prestigious Award Race
A Duke offensive lineman has pushed his way into the conversation for one of college footballs most distinctive honors, earning a nomination for the 2026 Burlsworth Trophy. The award goes to the most outstanding player in the FBS who started his career as a walk-on, and it has become a meaningful marker for players who built their roles the hard way.
For Duke, the nomination is a reminder of how much value can come from the unheralded parts of a roster, especially along the offensive line. The selection committee will narrow the field later in the year before naming finalists, with the winner set to be unveiled at the December award show, leaving this Blue Devils storyline with plenty of runway still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Fosters Duke Fight Still Has One Bond Fans Will Love
Caleb Foster has become a familiar kind of holdover for Duke, the lone member of the programs 2023 recruiting class still in Durham after others turned pro or moved on. Injuries have interrupted his path, but he has worked his way back into the rotation and has recently been giving the Blue Devils useful minutes off the bench, a reminder that his story with this team is still very much being written.
Jared McCain may no longer be in the locker room, but the connection between the former teammates clearly has not faded. Foster continues to keep strong ties with the players he came in with, and McCain recently showed up to support him during a photoshoot, a small but telling sign of how much that class still means to one another even as their careers have started to branch off in different directions. [Read more 🡒]