Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball Rookie Gives Reality Check to Sycamores

Duke basketball sensation Cameron Boozer cruised to a career-high outing.
Matt Giles|
Duke basketball forward Cameron Boozer
Duke basketball forward Cameron Boozer | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

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Duke Blue Devils

The unranked Indiana State Sycamores (2-2, 0-0 Missouri Valley) shot 4-for-6 beyond the arc out of the gate in their road bout against the No. 4-ranked Duke basketball team, holding a 14-7 lead over the heavily favored Blue Devils (4-0, 0-0 ACC) at the first media timeout.

But it took just a few minutes for a few heralded freshmen in Durham to completely erase the Blue Devils' deficit, as the Boozer twins and forward Nikolas Khamenia anchored an 11-0 run to give the home team a 15-14 advantage.

Duke then noticeably ramped up its defensive intensity. Indiana State cooled down considerably. And by the under-12 timeout in the first half, the Blue Devils enjoyed a 22-17 lead.

They never trailed again the rest of the way, ultimately improving to 4-0 overall this season and 2-0 at home via a 100-62 victory over the Sycamores.

By halftime, projected one-and-done forward Cameron Boozer had already tallied 15 points for the fourth time in as many tries as a Blue Devil.

In fact, the 6-foot-9, 250-pound Florida native, son of Duke basketball champ Carlos Boozer, entered the break with 23 points, only two shy of his career-high scoring total, and the Blue Devils held an 51-32 halftime advantage.

Boozer's points marked the most by any Blue Devil in a first half since one-and-done guard Jared McCain totaled 25 before the break in a road win over the Florida State Seminoles on Feb. 17, 2024.

Cameron Boozer finished the contest with 35 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and three blocks. And he did so in under 30 minutes of playing time, shooting a highly efficient 13-for-16 from the field, 2-for-2 from downtown, and 7-for-11 at the foul line.

By the time another Blue Devil reached double-digit points — freshman guard Dame Sarr hit that mark almost seven minutes into the second half — Boozer had already pushed his total to 33. At that point, he sat only eight points shy of Indiana State's total.

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer
Nov 14, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer directs his team during the first half against the Indiana State Sycamores at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Blue Devil junior guard Caleb Foster eventually joined Boozer and Sarr as a double-digit scorer. In his most productive effort this season, Foster delivered 14 points, four boards, two dimes, and one steal.

Next up for Jon Scheyer's fourth Duke basketball squad is a Champions Classic showdown against the No. 25 Kansas Jayhawks in New York City's Madison Square Garden at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday (ESPN).

The Blue Devils then return to the friendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium to host the Niagara Purple Eagles, coached by Scheyer's former college teammate in 2005-09 Duke basketball guard Greg Paulus, at 7 p.m ET next Friday (ACC Network).

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

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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