CHAPEL HILL — Duke coach Jon Scheyer said that Blue Devils staff members were punched in the face and his family feared for its safety when North Carolina fans stormed the court at the end of Saturday’s game.
UNC won 71-68 on Seth Trimble’s 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining. Fans stormed the court after he made the shot, then had to be ushered off the court for a final play. After Duke’s final play, which didn’t result in a shot, fans again stormed the court.
“I got staff members that got punched in the face,” Scheyer said. “My family [was] pushing people away, trying to not get trampled. That’s not what this game is about. You give them all the credit in the world. It’s not about the game, but obviously that was a scary ending and this rivalry is not about that.”
The ACC implemented fines for storming the field or court this year, a move that came, in part, due to a February 2024 court storm at Wake Forest. Duke star Kyle Filipowski was injured in that storm.
Schools face fines of $50,000, $100,000 and $200,000 per offense from the ACC that will accumulate through two seasons in football and basketball. Schools are expected to have a plan to get opposing teams and personnel off the court safely.
“I think court storming’s fine,” Scheyer said. “I don’t have any issue with court storming. Shouldn’t have people getting punched in the face. Shouldn’t put our players in position where they’re face to face with people who can do anything at that time. It just takes one reaction. Even today, I had to push people away just to try to protect our players ,Court storming, I’m all for it. They won. They should celebrate. If they want to court storm, court storm. But just let’s get our guys off safely.”
North Carolina athletics director Bubba Cunningham spoke to the media after the game and said he offered his apologies to Scheyer.
“I apologize to coach, his family and, obviously, if somebody got injured, that’s just really disappointing,” Cunningham said. “But we’ll do the best we can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Cunningham said North Carolina officials would review video of the incident to see what happened. He said people were knocked over.
“Unfortunate things happen when so many people rush like that,” Cunningham said. “That was just unfortunate. Hope it doesn’t happen again.”
The most noteworthy thing about Duke’s win Tuesday over Lipscomb was that it gave Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer his 100th career win.
But few could have expected No. 100 to be quite as hard to get.
The No. 3 Blue Devils, coming back from the end-of-semester exam break, took a 97-73 victory over the Bisons in a game that was too ragged, too sloppy at times, for Scheyer’s liking.
The Blue Devils will take an 11-0 record into their game Saturday against No. 19 Texas Tech in New York’s Madison Square Garden. It’s Duke’s best start to a season since 2017-18, when the Devils also won their first 11 games.
The Bisons (6-5), the Atlantic Sun champions last season, had a five-game win streak and a team that didn’t back off or flinch. Forget the final score. They battled defensively and ran their offense smartly much of the time, leading by as many as 10 points in the first half.
The Blue Devils, who oddsmakers made 32-point favorites, led 48-45 at halftime but only after a late-half surge. More alert defense and increased urgency were apparent from the start of the second half as the Blue Devils limited Lipscomb to 33.3% shooting and methodically pulled away to a comfortable-enough victory
Cameron Boozer, like his teammates a slow starter, finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds and Patrick Ngongba also had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Isaiah Evans had 16 points for the Blue Devils with four 3-pointers, and Duke got some energized play off the bench from Darren Harris (11 points) and Maliq Brown (11 points, 9 rebounds).
Duke’s Cayden Boozer drives to the basket past Lipscomb’s Grant Asman and Lipscomb’s Ross Candelino during the first half of the Blue Devils’ game on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer
For the record, Scheyer now is 100-22 overall in his fourth season since taking over from Mike Krzyzewski, who again was in his customary sideline seat.
“Taking over from a coach like Coach K, that’s a tough task, but he’s done a great job following him up,” Cameron Boozer said
Another former Duke coach, the late Vic Bubas, held the ACC record for the fastest to 100 wins — doing it in 128 games — but Scheyer has done it in 122.
“I’m extremely proud of coach and proud of this team,” Evans said. “I’m just proud to be a part of history.”
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer talks with Caleb Foster during the first half of the Blue Devils’ game against Lipscomb on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer
Scheyer now is 54-3 in home games. But that 54th home win had the head coach squirming a bit and working the refs much of the night.
“I got advice right away when I found out I was going to be the next coach,” Scheyer said. “You can worry about a lot of different things but you better get some good players, man. And we’ve had the best players. We’ve had great players.
“It’s not about me. It’s about who you have with you. And you’ve got to scrap and claw for every win.”
What did we learn about the Blue Devils?
Getting the rust off
There were signs of rust and being out of synch for the Blue Devils nearly the entire first half.
Cameron Boozer had the ball stolen off the dribble. Cayden Boozer had a dribble bounce off his sneaker for a turnover. Patrick Ngongba missed a point-blank layup. Nikolas Khamenia stepped out of bounds trying to get off a shot.
Get the idea? It was sloppy basketball. Duke had 16 turnovers – in the first half – that Lipscomb turned into 21 points and finished with 22 turnovers.
“We had a little bit of a rough game, especially turning the ball over,” Cameron Boozer said. “But give props to Lipscomb, too. They’re a great mid-major team and have a chance of making the (NCAA) tournament.”
Duke’s Dame Sarr reacts after turning the ball over during the second half of the Blue Devils’ 97-73 win over Lipscomb on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer
With Evans hitting two early 3’s, Duke took a 10-0 lead and it appeared the Blue Devils were primed for the expected wire-to-wire win. But the Bisons kept playing, looking to dribble-drive to the lane and find Duke’s defensive holes.
“They exposed some things that we have to do better,” Scheyer said.
Lipscomb’s Mateo Esmeraldo, a physical 6-1 junior, didn’t back off. Esmeraldo had 12 of his 14 points in the first half and got eight at the foul line after challenging the Devils. Lipscomb was 13 of 14 at the line in the opening half, Esmeraldo finally missing the 14th.
Lipscomb’s guards were willing to pay the price to attack the rim, often crashing to the court as they put up shots. Lipscomb led by as many as 10 points – 26-16 – midway through the half.
Getting more than enough work
The Bisons gave the Devils plenty of work Tuesday – probably more than Duke expected.
Lipscomb opened in 1-2-2 zone, later had some 1-3-1 looks and mixed that in with its man-to-man. Offensively, Lipscomb spread the floor in the half court, used up the clock and kept the Blue Devils in motion.
Lipscomb had a 14-2 run in the opening half – Scheyer calling a timeout – and shot a respectable 45% from the field, hit free throws and had just seven turnovers. And scored 45 points.
“I thought the actions they ran against our (defensive) switching were great,” Scheyer said. “I thought the physicality they played with, the defense … I can’t say enough about them.
Duke’s Nikolas Khamenia looks to pass around Lipscomb’s Kellan Boylan and Lipscomb’s Titas Sargiunas during the first half of the Blue Devils’ game on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer
“That was a great experience for us. That was a different kind of team than we’ve played because of their shooting, so we had to do some things differently on the defensive end.”
If the Blue Devils were looking for a good post-exam workout to limber back up, they got it. The game was a good ‘tweener between the big road win at Michigan State and Texas Tech.
“It was a trap week,” Cameron Boozer said. “We’ve got to be better, for sure.”
Down but not out
For Duke, it was a scary sight.
Five minutes into the first half, Khamenia was in transition when there suddenly was a loose ball scramble near midcourt. The 6-8 freshman was knocked off balance and fell awkwardly – replays made it appear he might have landed chin-first.
Khamena stayed face down for several moments as the Duke trainers rushed in. He was helped up and taken to the bench, but was left bloodied.
Not that he was out for long. Repairs were made and Khamenia, a crash-and-bang kind of player, was soon back on the floor, ready for more contact.
A few other Duke players took some hard spills in a game with a lot of banging bodies.
“We got a little banged up but I think we’re OK,” Scheyer said.
Lipscomb’s Titas Sargiunas and Duke’s Darren Harris dive after a loose ball during the second half of the Blue Devils’ 97-73 win on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown The News & Observer
This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 8:18 PM.
In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.
Caleb Foster (1) of the Duke Blue Devils dribbles against Elmarko Jackson (13) of the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half in the 2025 State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden on November 18, 2025 in New York City.
Sarah Stier
Getty Images
New York
There were Duke players who had literally never seen anything like this. The big, strong, tough, swarming defense Kansas plays, annually, regardless of changing names and faces, was not only a significant step up in competition five games into some very young careers, it was an awakening.
For Cameron and Cayden Boozer, for Dame Sarr and Nik Khamenia, their first trip to Madison Square Garden with the Blue Devils was a portal into a new world, where the ease with which Duke had dispatched its first four opponents — even Texas — seemed far away.
Even their more veteran teammates didn’t have to carry the load in the past the way they did Tuesday night, thrown into the maw with no escape on the bench. And still. Another test faced. Another test passed.
Duke’s 78-66 win over Kansas in the Champions Classic demanded of Duke some answers to questions the Blue Devils had not yet faced, especially on offense where the easy baskets and open shots Duke had become accustomed to were nowhere in evidence.
Duke’s Isaiah Evans (3) goes to the basket as Kansas’ Tre White (3) during the first half of the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden on November 18, 2025 in New York City. Getty Images
For the first time, the Blue Devils had to grind out a win, nursing a single-digit second-half lead to the finish, against the best team they have faced yet. Cameron Boozer had 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for Duke, while Isaiah Evans added 16.
“A lot of people might say that because we’re a young team, we might be soft, we might not be ready for games like this,” Cameron Boozer said. “But I think we’ve shown that we are. Just through our toughness and our competitiveness. We’ve shown it in spurts every game. I don’t think we’ve put together a full 40 minutes of it yet, but when we do it’s going to be special.”
When Kansas big man Flory Bidunga picked up his second foul with 6:40 to go in the first half, the Blue Devils were down five and grinding their gears on offense, finding the going all but impassable. Duke hadn’t seen anything like Kansas’ defense, especially in the post, where the Jayhawks extracted a toll on every drive the Blue Devils had become accustomed to finishing in their games to date.
Then Patrick Ngongba II drew a second on Bidunga and suddenly the path to the rim was unobstructed. The Blue Devils finished the first half on a 21-7 run capped by an Evans bomb that would have counted for 3 if the Knicks were playing instead.
“I noticed (Melvin) Council was stretched out across the 3-point line,” Evans said. “So I just stepped out a little farther.”
Bidunga announced his presence with authority to start the second half, spinning off Ngongba for a dunk out of nothing, but Duke stretched its eight-point halftime lead to 10 before Kansas made a push of its own, staying within single digits for much of the second half, trying to close the gap, but never closer than three.
The Blue Devils found offense from unexpected places as the Jayhawks tested them: A pair of Cayden Boozer drives and Ngongba’s second high-low assist. The first was to Cameron Boozer on the opening possession, a set play for an easy slam. The second was a back-door feed to Maliq Brown for a dunk when Duke desperately needed it. An Evans corner 3-pointer as the shot clock expired put Duke up eight with less than four minutes to go, and that was enough.
“Those aren’t easy situations to be in, especially if it’s your first time in the Garden like some of these guys, or if it’s your second or your third,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “You need to show great poise, great togetherness. I thought especially down the stretch, some of those plays, we just showed great poise. It’s what it’s all about.”
The win moved Duke to 5-0 to extend a remarkable start to the basketball season across the Triangle — a combined 14-0 record among Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State — and apply some pressure on the Wolfpack to keep up. The Blue Devils beat Kansas by 12 in New York. The Tar Heels beat Kansas by 13 in Chapel Hill. The Wolfpack hosts Kansas in Raleigh on Dec. 13.
Cameron Boozer (12) of the Duke Blue Devils dribbles against Flory Bidunga (40) of the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half in the 2025 State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden on November 18, 2025 in New York City. Sarah Stier Getty Images
Still, the stiffest opposition the Blue Devils have faced yet did raise some questions for which Duke does not yet have answers. Cameron Boozer — admittedly, in his fifth college game — was unable to impose his will against Kansas’ front line the way he has against lesser competition. Too often, he shot-faked himself into corners, lacking a Plan B against players more his equal. He was better in the second half, pounding the boards the old-fashioned way.
“I have to take what the defense gives me,” Cameron Boozer said. “They were doubling me a lot in the first half and the second half they weren’t doubling me as much. So in the first half those passes were there, and in the second half I was able to be more aggressive.”
Scheyer added: “I still don’t even think he played, like, incredible. That’s the thing that’s really exciting.”
Duke also found it more difficult to protect the ball against a more active defense, going to an early two-point look with Caleb Foster and Cayden Boozer both on the floor in an attempt to stem the early turnovers that led to easy Kansas buckets. That too is an area for improvement.
If Bidunga had stayed out of foul trouble, or if Self hadn’t been hesitant to re-insert Bidunga late in the first half, things might have been different for Duke. As it was, Kansas wasn’t quite at Duke’s level offensively — especially without injured point guard Darryn Peterson, denying the nightcap a showcase of freshman future NBA stars — but its defense was a new experience that required adjustment to surmount.
“It’s the reason we played Tennessee in the exhibition game,” Scheyer said. “Texas was very physical. Kansas did a great job protecting. The thing for us, we’re working through — we have actions we want to go to in critical moments and the way we want to play, but also some randomness, being able to read the defense, understand what’s next, understand how we have to fight for the paint. I thought at the end of the first half and moments in the second half we just did that.”
They are young. They are learning. They are not going to win every game by 15. But they haven’t lost yet, either.
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This story was originally published November 18, 2025 at 11:19 PM.
Sports columnist Luke DeCock joined The News & Observer in 2000 and has covered nine Final Fours, the Summer Olympics, the Super Bowl and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup win in 2006. He is a past president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, was the 2020 winner of the National Headliner Award as the country’s top sports columnist and is a three-time North Carolina Sportswriter of the Year.
Duke’s Cameron Boozer (12) heads to the basket as Western Carolina’s Abdulai Fanta Kabba (7) defends during the first half of Duke’s game against Western Carolina at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025.
Ethan Hyman
ehyman@newsobserver.com
Durham
Duke’s game Saturday against Western Carolina wasn’t so much about the score as the moments.
Or, for the No. 6 Blue Devils, some floor-burn moments.
Playing their first home game of the season at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils ran over the Catamounts, 95-54, as Cameron Boozer had 25 points and eight rebounds.
It was Cayden Boozer and then Darren Harris skidding across the court hustling after a loose ball. It was Nikolas Khamenia saving the ball as he fell out of bounds, leading to a score. It was Cameron Boozer going to the floor to keep a possession alive, getting the ball to Maliq Brown and resulting in Harris shooting three free throws after being fouled.
The Duke bench including Caleb Foster (1), Patrick Ngongba (21) and Isaiah Evans (3) celebrate after Jack Scott hit a three-pointer during the second half of Duke’s 95-54 victory over Western Carolina at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Later, WCU’s Marcus Kell made a nice baseline move and tested Boozer under the rim. Bad idea. Boozer easily swatted away the shot.
Not everything went smoothly in the first half for the Blue Devils, but it mattered little against a WCU team that was 8-22 last season and lost its opener by 31 points at Cincinnati earlier in the week. The Devils, favored by 36 points, had the Catamounts outquicked and outnumbered, and that was reflected in the final score.
The Blue Devils struggled through most of the first half of their opener, against Texas on Tuesday in the Dick Vitale Invitational in Charlotte. Against WCU, they led by 24 points.
Duke’s Nikolas Khamenia (14) and Western Carolina’s Marcus Kell (23) go after a loose ball during the second half of Duke’s 95-54 victory over Western Carolina at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Duke used some tight defense in the second half to roll past the Longhorns, 75-60. The defense never rested Saturday in the second half as the Devils continued to contest everything.
Western Carolina was limited to 30.6 percent shooting — 4-for-26 on 3-pointers — and had 14 turnovers.
What did we learn about the Blue Devils in their second game?
Shooting the 3-pointer
The Blue Devils have a lineup of players who believe they can shoot the 3. Some can better than others, but many believe they can.
Isaiah Evans has the green light at all times and the guy they call “Slim” can light it up from the 3-point line. Darren Harris has a nice touch from 3.
But there are some who may have to be more judicious as the season moves along. With the inside threats of Cameron Boozer and Patrick Ngongba II and a number of slash-to-the-rim types, the Devils might look to attack the paint more and ease up on the 3s.
Duke was 3-of-17 from 3 in the first half Saturday. Cameron Boozer had five 3-point shots and missed four, getting most of his 14 first-half points on his inside strength and five made free throws.
Duke finished 10-for-32 on 3s.
Duke’s Cameron Boozer (12) blocks the shot by Western Carolina’s Marcus Kell (23) during the first half of Duke’s game against Western Carolina at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Boozer builds a game
Much was made of Cameron Boozer’s start in his first college game. The freshman forward was scoreless in the first half against Texas and showed hints of irritation.
In Saturday’s game, Boozer began with a poor pass insider to Ngongba that was a turnover, then fouled WCU’s Marcus Kell on a drive.
But Boozer, as he did against Texas, built a game. The numbers came. By halftime he had 14 points and six rebounds and just missed a second double-double to start the season.
In the second half, he nailed a trio of 3-pointers, two from the left of the key and then a corner shot. He also finished with five assists.
One thing about both Boozers, large and small: they have a stoic demeanor, letting little bother them on the court. It will be interesting to see how that holds up in the big games to come.
Duke’s Patrick Ngongba (21) pulls in the rebound from Western Carolina’s Marcus Kell (23) during the first half of Duke’s game against Western Carolina at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
A different look to the rotation
Duke coach Jon Scheyer said Tuesday that the Devils still were “figuring out” the rotations and had an interesting one Saturday: Cayden Boozer and Caleb Foster playing together.
Cayden Boozer can run the offense and Foster can look to add offense. The two competed through preseason practice and Foster started both games as Boozer came off the bench.
But Boozer is always in sync with his twin brother on the court as the two play off each other so well. Foster, the 6-5 junior, can match up with taller guards and can share the ballhandling duties with Boozer.
Foster had two points at halftime Saturday but picked it up in the second half with some strong moves the basket and had six rebounds.
Cayden Boozer had 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists. At 6-4, he’s the shortest player on the Duke roster but he can help on the boards, as he did Saturday.
Late in the game, Boozer simply yanked the ball out of the hands of a WCU player. Fouled, he added two free throws.
This story was originally published November 8, 2025 at 3:58 PM.
In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run. Support my work with a digital subscription
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — Duke Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jon Scheyer was part of a weekly media gathering of ACC coaches.
This comes after Duke’s Kyle Filipowski appeared to be injured when students at Wake Forest stormed the court after beating the Blue Devils over the weekend.
In his post-game press conference Scheyer mentioned something needed to be done about the long-held tradition of court-storming in college basketball.
During today’s media availability Scheyer continued to say something needs to be done to protect the players when students storm the court.
“That can’t happen. Even in retrospect, you’re watching it back and there is a ton of attention on Flip (Filipowski) but if you go back and watch Jared McCain there is a student face to face with him. It’s a dangerous situation.”
He went on to say he hopes the ACC will do something to protect players right now and not wait until next season.
Scheyer said Filipowski’s status is still unknown for their next game against Louisville on Wednesday.
The Filipowski incident comes after college player Caitlin Clark ran into an eager fan who was also rushing the court after a big upset against Clark’s team.
Duke’s Jared McCain (0) motions to the crowd after hitting a three-pointer at the end of the first half of Duke’s game against Florida State University at the Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Fla. Sat. February 17, 2024.
Ethan Hyman
ehyman@newsobserver.com
Tallahassee, Fla.
Jared McCain made sure No. 9 Duke had no worries about fellow guard Tyrese Proctor’s absence due to injury on Saturday.
McCain scored 35 points, setting a program freshman record with eight 3-pointers, as the Blue Devils toppled Florida State, 76-67, in ACC basketball at the Tucker Center.
The 6-3 McCain, a freshman guard from Sacramento, California, hit his first eight shots overall and finished the game 12 of 20 from the field. He made 8 of 11 3-pointers. His point total matched Zion Williamson’s Duke freshman single-game scoring record.
No. 9 Duke (20-5, 11-3 ACC) led by 10 points at halftime and never saw its lead fall below six points in the second half. The Blue Devils won despite not having Proctor, a 6-5 sophomore guard who has started 16 games this season. He did not make the trip due to concussion symptoms.
Florida State (13-12, 7-7 ACC) hit six of its first seven shots to lead by six points early. But McCain helped Duke quickly erase that deficit. When McCain hit his third 3-pointer of the game with 13:09 left until halftime, Duke took a 19-16 lead and never trailed again.
Jeremy Roach added 17 points as the only other Duke player in double figures. The Blue Devils shot 46.4% and won despite Florida State shooting 49.1%.
Duke’s Jared McCain (0) drives around Florida State’s Cam Corhen (3) during the first half of Duke’s game against Florida State University at the Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Fla. Sat. February 17, 2024. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Here are three takeaways from the game
McCain’s stellar day
Before the first half was over, McCain had already matched the Duke record for most 3-pointers in a game by a freshman. Back in 2018, Cam Reddish hit seven against Army.
McCain hit four 3-pointers in the game’s first eight minutes to zoom into double-figures in scoring. By the time he missed his first shot, a 3-pointer with 4:46 to play until halftime, he he’d already scored 22 points by making his first eight shots (six 3-pointers).
To close his incredible first half, McCain took a bounce pass from Jeremy Roach in transition. With the first-half clock ticking down, McCain dribbled and took two steps back behind the 3-point line and drilled another 3 with two seconds left. That left him at 25 points in the first half and gave Duke a 44-34 halftime lead.
He made his eighth 3-pointer, setting the new Duke freshman record, with 9:38 to play, giving Duke a 60-49 lead.
Duke’s Jeremy Roach (3) drives around Florida State’s Jaylan Gainey (33) during the first half of Duke’s game against Florida State University at the Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Fla. Sat. February 17, 2024. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
Duke trades turnovers for rebounds
Though Duke is one of the ACC’s top teams when it comes to protecting the ball this season, the Blue Devils ran up against their match on Saturday.
Averaging 9.5 turnovers per game this season, the Blue Devils committed seven in the first half and finished with a season-worst 17. Kyle Filipowski had six of Duke’s miscues.
Florida State is No. 2 in the ACC, per KenPom.com, in forcing turnovers. Seminoles opponents have done so on 19.7% of their possessions in ACC play. The Seminoles had eight steals against Duke on Saturday.
But the Blue Devils were able to win the rebounding battle against the taller Seminoles, 36-27. That included 15 offensive rebounds. Of the eight players Duke used, seven grabbed at least two rebounds. Even freshman Sean Stewart, who only played four minutes, grabbed four rebounds.
Filipowski led Duke with seven rebounds.
Back to an unbeaten lineup
With Proctor not available, Scheyer used a familiar starting five that’s brought Duke nothing but success this season. The lineup consisted of McCain, Roach, Caleb Foster, Filipowski and Mitchell. Entering Saturday’s play, the Blue Devils were 7-0 with that starting five.
Steve Wiseman has covered Duke athletics since 2010 for the Durham Herald-Sun and Raleigh News & Observer. In the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest, he’s placed in the top 10 in beat writing in 2019, 2021 and 2022, breaking news in 2019 and explanatory writing in 2018. Previously, Steve worked for The State (Columbia, SC), Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.), The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.), Charlotte Observer and Hickory (NC) Daily Record covering beats including the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, University of South Carolina athletics and the S.C. General Assembly. He’s won numerous state-level press association awards. Steve graduated from Illinois State University in 1989.
HOUSTON—Capping off a wild tournament defined by surprising underdog victories, the NCAA awarded the national championship title Monday to Duke University in the final upset of March Madness. “After 40 minutes of riveting basketball between San Diego State and the University of Connecticut in a tourney where it often seemed like anyone’s game, it is my privilege to award the championship trophy to head coach Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils,” NCAA president Charlie Baker said as Duke players and fans stormed the court to celebrate while the defeated Aztecs and Huskies squads headed back to their locker rooms in disappointment. “We’ve had a March Madness for the ages, marked by traditional powerhouse schools losing shocking upsets to schools few people have heard of. But it should surprise no one that the balance of power has been restored, and Duke just picked up its sixth national championship. Let the history books show that the Blue Devils won a thrilling, hard-fought game over Kentucky after beating Kansas in the Final Four round, with lesser-known teams like San Diego State, Florida Atlantic University, and Creighton serving as fun little footnotes.” Following the game, the NCAA unveiled restrictions that would prevent all but the 10 most popular teams nationally from recruiting new players for next season.
Jon Scheyer pushed defense from the first workouts after taking over at Duke. A week after his debut, he’ll get a look at how that unit performs against a top opponent.
The seventh-ranked Blue Devils face sixth-ranked and reigning national champion Kansas on Tuesday night in Indianapolis for the Champions Classic, a fixture of college basketball’s early season schedule for more than a decade.
That game is one of seven matchups this week with both teams ranked in the first regular-season AP Top 25 poll. It also marks the first marquee game for the 35-year-old Scheyer in charge of the program where he won a national championship as a player and as an assistant coach – and now works in the spotlight as the successor to retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski.
Duke (2-0) held Jacksonville and USC Upstate to a combined 82 points on 30.8% shooting, including 21.7% from 3-point range. The Blue Devils got a boost in the second game as 7-foot-1 Dereck Lively II – the nation’s No. 1 recruit – made his debut after a preseason injury to bring mobility and rim protection.
“They’ve embraced the commitment on the defensive end,” Scheyer said. “I still think we have a long way to go. But you have to take it step by step. … They want to get better at it. That’s been the fun thing.
“I think if you saw us July 1 to right now, it’s been a big improvement. Hopefully you say the same thing from where we are now versus a month or two from here.”
Acting Kansas coach Norm Roberts, who is leading the Jayhawks during Bill Self’s four-game suspension, said it’s difficult to tell just yet about how much Scheyer will use straight from his time under Krzyzewski and how much he’s adjusting Duke’s approach.
“I don’t know if you can tell that so early in the year,” Roberts said, adding: “I’m sure when you’re following a Hall of Fame coach, someone that’s done it so well for so long, you’re going to take a lot of things that person did.”
GONZAGA’S TOUGH WEEK
Mark Few certainly didn’t make things easy for No. 2 Gonzaga to start the schedule.
The Zags also have nonconference dates ahead with No. 5 Baylor (Dec. 2) and No. 18 Alabama (Dec. 17).
(EARLY) TOURNEY TIME
The Continental Tire Main Event in Las Vegas pulled in four ranked teams for this week’s two-day tournament. The first round pairs Baylor against No. 16 Virginia while No. 8 UCLA meets No. 19 Illinois on Friday.
The championship and consolation games are Sunday.
The Tar Heels host Gardner-Webb on Tuesday then James Madison on Sunday. From there, they head west for the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland for the Thanksgiving week, then visit No. 12 Indiana in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Nov. 30) followed by Virginia Tech (Dec. 4) to open Atlantic Coast Conference play.
The Tar Heels won’t play at home again until hosting Georgia Tech in ACC play on Dec. 10.
WATCH LIST
Two Big Ten teams are on deck for next week’s AP Top 25.
Michigan State, the leading vote-getter among unranked teams, will have a pair of big-name opponents this week by facing Kentucky in Tuesday’s other Champions Classic game. The Spartans also host Villanova — which fell out of the poll from No. 16 after a Week 1 loss to Temple under new coach Kyle Neptune — on Friday.
Purdue was next up among unranked teams and has a matchup with Marquette at home Tuesday.
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Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
