Duke’s annual “Countdown to Craziness” gave Cameron Indoor Stadium a familiar kind of buzz Saturday, but this one carried a different edge. The Blue Devils have spent the last two seasons turning the event into a celebration of championships, with both the men’s and women’s teams winning ACC regular-season and tournament titles in back-to-back years.
Now the question is whether Duke can keep that run going. A three-peat in the ACC would not shock anyone, especially not the preseason prediction crowd already circling the Blue Devils near the top. What unfolded at Cameron suggested there’s real talent on both sides of the program to make that conversation stick.
The women’s side looked every bit like a team with bigger goals in mind. Kara Lawson’s group entered individually, scrimmaged, and showed off the kind of firepower that has people wondering about a Final Four push. Toby Fournier, the 6-2 junior and last season’s leading scorer, helped turn up the volume even more after freshman guard Deron Rippey Jr. drew cheers with a 360 dunk in the dunk contest.
Lawson also has momentum of her own. She recently coached Team USA to a gold medal in the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin, and now she’s aiming to guide Duke to another championship run this season.
The men’s side offered its own stack of highlights, and plenty of evidence that Jon Scheyer may have a tricky time sorting out minutes. The Blue Devils’ depth was on display in a scrimmage that featured enough quality to suggest both teams on the floor could hold their own in the ACC. Duke, which could open the preseason ranked No. 1, looked loaded.
Among the standouts: transfer guard John Blackwell powered his way to 10 points with strong finishes at the rim. Patrick Ngongba II flashed touch and vision with a perfect high-low feed to Caleb Foster for a reverse layup.
Cayden Boozer delivered a timely lob to freshman Max Meyer for a dunk. Freshman forward Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje handled the ball like a guard on the perimeter.
Sebastian Wilkins, who red-shirted last year, made a hustle steal and turned it into a fast-break dunk. Rippey capped the scrimmage by knocking down a wing 3-pointer for the win.
With Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer no longer serving as the obvious focal points, there are jobs to be won all over the roster. Rippey brings burst and explosiveness.
Boumtje Boumtje, listed at 7-2, can move around the floor. Blackwell can score.
Ngongba looks leaner. Foster appears ready to lead.
Both Duke teams reached the Elite Eight in 2025-26. The women finished 27-9 overall and 16-2 in the ACC, while the men fell to Connecticut in the regional final after making the Final Four in 2025. Duke is still chasing its first NCAA men’s title since 2015.
After Saturday’s showcase, neither program looked short on reasons to believe.
In Other News...
Duke's Newcomers Already Created The Roster Battle Fans Wanted
Dukes annual Countdown to Craziness scrimmage did exactly what fans hoped it would do: create a little early-season noise around a roster that suddenly looks a lot more interesting. The white team edged the blue team 29-24, and the event offered a first real glimpse at a mix of newcomers who already seem ready to push for minutes. Freshman Deron Rippey Jr., Patrick Ngongba and transfer John Blackwell all flashed in ways that should only sharpen the competition heading into the season.
There will be some growing pains along the way, especially for freshmen like Joaqim Boumtje Boumtje and Cameron Williams, who are still adjusting to the speed and physicality of college basketball. But that is part of the appeal of this group, too. Duke wanted roster tension, internal pressure and a reason for fans to lean in early, and the scrimmage suggested the Blue Devils may have all three before October is even over. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Fans Got Their First Real Clue About This Roster
Dukes annual Countdown to Craziness offered the first real look at this years group inside Cameron Indoor Stadium, with the Blue-White scrimmage giving fans a chance to size up the rotation and get a feel for how the pieces fit. It was the kind of early October snapshot that does not answer every question, but it does at least start to show which players are ready to make an impression before the games count.
The scrimmage had the usual mix of energy and experimentation, and the evening ended with Team White coming out on top in the Elam ending format, thanks to a three-pointer from Deron Rippey Jr. Duke will not have long to sit on the exhibition notes, either, with a scrimmage against Belmont coming up as the next opportunity to see whether the early flashes translate into something more reliable. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Women Just Gave Fans Their First Real Roster Debate
Duke womens basketball got its first real taste of competition Friday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium, using the Blue vs. White scrimmage during Countdown to Craziness to open the 2026-27 season in front of a crowd that was eager for clues. The intrasquad setup always invites a little overreading, but it also gives fans their earliest chance to start sorting out who looks ready for bigger minutes and who might push into the rotation once the games begin.
The White group came away with the win, and sophomore Aaliyah Crump was among the most noticeable players on the floor as the Blue Devils work through those early roster impressions. Delaney Thomas also played a key role in the finish, and the result only adds a little more intrigue before Duke opens the official season Nov. 3 against Green Bay, when the exhibition questions start turning into real ones. [Read more 🡒]