Duke Basketball Starting Lineup 'Far From Set in Stone'

In giving the Duke basketball program its first set of twin starters in over 80 years, fourth-year head coach Jon Scheyer inserted Cayden Boozer into the starting five for the No. 6-ranked Blue Devils' Wednesday home bout versus the unranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

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That lineup, consisting of the freshman guard alongside junior guard Caleb Foster, sophomore wing Isaiah Evans, freshman forward Cameron Boozer, and sophomore center Patrick Ngongba II, became 1-0 via the 85-79 win.

Duke basketball guard Cayden Boozer — Dec 31, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) lays the ball up in front of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets center Mouhamed Sylia (6)during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 85-79. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Foster, Evans, Cameron Boozer, and Ngongba have been starters throughout the squad's 12-1 start. Freshman wing Dame Sarr was the fifth starter for the first eight games before freshman forward Nik Khamenia got the nod for the next four outings leading up to the New Year's Eve clash against Georgia Tech.

Jon Scheyer Shares Thoughts on Duke Basketball Starting Options

Evidently, Nik Khamenia's nagging ankle injury at least played some part in his absence from the latest starting five. However, as Jon Scheyer noted in explaining where the lineup's construction stands at this early stage of ACC play, more tweaks remain a real possibility.

"We're searching still," Scheyer said, "and I'd be lying to you if I wasn't a little bit with our lineups, with finding a group that can be really competitive and connected, and also offensively, where we're just flowing a little bit better. And I think there's mainly two things...

"One, Nik Khamenia is a warrior; he's been battling an ankle injury, he hasn't been able to do as much in practice, but he's an absolute warrior giving us everything that he has. The other thing, with Cayden, I think he's emerging; he makes other guys better, even if it's not assists, he just starts the domino effect — he had three steals on defense, which was a big thing for us.

"So, we'll continue to evaluate our liineups. I think this is far from being set in stone with where we're going or what's our most optimal lineup, and especially with the growth and development of each of our guys."

Scheyer didn't mention senior forward Maliq Brown when discussing options for the starting five moving forward. Even so, it wouldn't be a surprise if the staff in Durham eventually decides to go big early in games by having the 6-foot-9, 225-pound defensive menace on the court for tipoff, thereby rolling out a menacing frontcourt with Brown complementing Cameron Boozer and Ngongba.

Cayden Boozer Values More Than Just Being a Starter

In his first start as a Duke basketball player, Cayden Boozer posted an encouraging statline. The Miami native, son of Blue Devil legend Carlos Boozer, finished with 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals, and only one turnover across his career-high 31 minutes.

His playing time included the closing minutes of hard-fought action against Georgia Tech. Plus, Boozer's mid-range jumper late in the game helped ensure the victory.

I asked Cayden Boozer about what it felt like to be in the starting lineup for the first time as a Blue Devil: pic.twitter.com/q3lvlAQEr6
— Matt Giles (@MattGilesBD) January 1, 2026

"I feel like it's the same," the 6-foot-4, 205-pound floor general explained to Duke Blue Devils On SI afterward when comparing his mindset as a starter to that of coming off the bench. "Obviously, it's a great achievement to be a starter. But at the end of the day, it's the people that are closing it that really matters.

"Starting or not, it doesn't really matter, as long as you're doing what the team needs you to do."

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