Duke's Isaiah Evans Has Officially Found His Groove

The Duke basketball program improved to 15-1 on the season and 4-0 in conference play following an 82-75 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium over No. 24 SMU (12-4, 1-2 ACC). Despite the Blue Devils allowing the Mustangs to shoot 57% from the field, the third opponent in the last four games that Duke has allowed to shoot 53% or better, they managed to make plays down the stretch to secure the victory.

This was one of freshman sensation Cameron Boozer's quietest games as a Blue Devil, as the National Player of the Year frontrunner went for just 18 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. For most players around the country, that's a career-best type of outing. But for Boozer, it's less than average.

Slim's dagger from multiple angles 🗡️ pic.twitter.com/D7PSHPWqRR
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 10, 2026

Duke made up the slack with 34 points from its bench, as well as forcing 21 SMU turnovers, a season-high for the program, which led to 21 points for the Blue Devils.

However, the MVP of this one for Jon Scheyer's club was Isaiah Evans, and he's beginning to find his groove with conference play getting underway. The sophomore sharpshooter went for a team-high 21 points to go along with two rebounds on 5-of-11 (45.5%) from the field and 4-of-8 (50%) from three-point range.

Duke improves to 22-0 when Isaiah Evans scores in double-figures 😈 @DukeMBB pic.twitter.com/a2D3T4gQaq
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) January 10, 2026

Duke Sharpshooter Isaiah Evans Finding Groove As ACC Play Gets Underway

Evans has had a bit of an inconsistent sophomore season after coming into the campaign regarded as one of the biggest breakout candidates on a national scale. He's been a non-factor in more than one of the Blue Devils' marquee contests to begin the year, but he's starting to show his elite potential on both sides of the floor over the program's last four games.

Jan 10, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) drives to the basket as Southern Methodist Mustangs guard Jaron Pierre Jr. (5) defends during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Through Duke's four victories to begin conference play, Evans is averaging 22.3 points per game on 43.6% shooting and 41% shooting from beyond the arc. Even with some inconsistent shooting, it was no secret that Evans never lacked confidence, and it was only a matter of time before the shots began to fall. Duke fans are now starting to see the player they were all expecting in the preseason, as the North Carolina native is starting to put up All-ACC numbers.

The 6'6", 180-pound wing was a threat as an outside shooter all season, but now he's a proven threat while being on a heater. That instantly frees up the paint so much more for the Blue Devils, and that was clear today. Duke was much more efficient from the perimeter than it has been in any of its last few games, and that's due to the shot selection being much better, mixed with the team's best shooter finding a groove.

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