Duke Basketball Players Make Plans to Slap Floor Together

One Duke basketball guard wishes another told the rest of the Blue Devils that he was going to employ the program's traditional statement.

Dec 2, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Isaiah Evans (3) reacts after making the game-winning steal during the second half against the Florida Gators at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 67-66. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

The Duke basketball tradition of slapping the floor, an effort to bring all five Blue Devils on the court together in a show of unison to get a crucial defensive stop, started in the 1980s with the likes of Johnny Dawkins, Tommy Amaker, Mark Alarie, and Jay Bilas.

ALSO READ: Duke Coach Jon Scheyer Comments on Junior Who Stayed Put

Thus far this season, only one player has pulled out the patented move, but did so without informing his teammates.

It was a super-of-the-moment thing, as has always been the case. That display, much to the delight of the famed Cameron Crazies, came courtesy of Blue Devil junior point guard Caleb Foster toward the end of the still-unbeaten squad's 67-66 home win over the then-No. 15-ranked Florida Gators in Cameron Indoor Stadium two weeks ago.

During the latest episode of The Brotherhood Podcast posted by the Duke basketball social media team early Monday morning, sophomore wing Isaiah Evans, whose silky 3-point stroke from the top of the key delivered the game-winning bucket in that back-and-forth battle against Florida, told Foster that he must let the rest of them know before he slaps the floor next time.

"I got mad," Evans recounted to Foster, the host of the show, and the episode's other guest in freshman power forward Cameron Boozer, who was laughing in agreement, "because I was like, 'Bro, [if] you're gonna slap the floor, you gotta tell us.' You know what I'm saying? When you slapped the floor, the place went crazy. And I was like, 'Bro, you gotta tell us because you're the only one doing it."

Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) reacts after a turnover against the Florida Gators during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] | Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It sounds like Caleb Foster understands the mission moving forward.

"It was just in the heat of the moment," Foster said. "Nah, we're gonna cue it up one game. We gotta wait for the big one."

There's no telling when that big opportunity will present itself. Whenever the time comes, though, whether home or away, the Blue Devils look to pay better tribute to Dawkins, Amaker, & Co., not to mention countless other floor-slapping Duke basketball talents over the past 40-plus years, by making the emphatic statement as a five-man unit on the floor.

Next up for No. 3 Duke (10-0, 0-0 ACC) is a home bout against the unranked Lipscomb Bisons (6-4, 0-0 ASUN) at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday (ACC Network).

Stay tuned to Duke Blue Devils On SI for more Duke basketball news.

As always, make sure you stay up to date with all Duke content by following us on Facebook, by clicking HERE, and following us on X (formerly Twitter) HERE.