How Isaiah Evans Answered Big Question for Duke

The No. 5-ranked Duke basketball program (17-1, 6-0 ACC) has been firing on all cylinders lately and has reached a new level of play on the offensive side of the ball. Throughout the first several games of the regular season, there were question marks on what the Blue Devils' ceiling on offense could really be.

Duke went through a gauntlet of a non-conference schedule, taking on five ranked teams before ACC play even began. The Blue Devils went 4-1 over that stretch, but there were glaring issues.

Jan 17, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) celebrates his basket against the Stanford Cardinal in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Down the stretch in several of those contests, Duke relied almost entirely on freshman phenom Cameron Boozer to generate offense.

The National Player of the Year frontrunner went for 35 points in a win over Arkansas, 29 points in a win over Florida, and 23 points in a loss to Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden.

Despite Duke walking away with key victories, the central question around it always remained: who would be the Blue Devils' second scoring option?

Isaiah Evans Answering Call Offensively

Isaiah Evans entered his sophomore campaign in Durham widely regarded as one of the biggest breakout candidates on a national scale. Elevated into a starting role from a strictly 3-and-D role as a rookie, Evans was poised to burst onto the scene.

But through the first stretch of the year, that wasn't the case.

Isaiah Evans Highlights at Stanford 😈🌲 pic.twitter.com/3y2LclB5ZP
— DukeLights 𝕏 (@dukelightsx) January 18, 2026

In Duke's first five ranked matchups of the season, Evans averaged 10.2 points per game on 34% shooting from the field and 28.1% shooting from three. It felt like it hit rock bottom after Evans only attempted four shots in the loss to the Red Raiders.

It was clear Duke needed a second scorer, but it also always felt like it needed to be Evans. He had the arsenal to be a 15-17 point-per-game scorer, but just had to put it together consistently for the Blue Devils to reach that next level of play.

Since conference play has gotten underway, Evans has answered that call.

In the Blue Devils' six league games, Evans is averaging 20.2 points per game on 44.3% shooting from the floor and 38.9% shooting from three. The sophomore sharpshooter has found a new groove in conference action.

Isaiah Evans continues to be my favorite off ball mover in the class. Constantly in motion and makes defenders pay if they don't stay attached.

Fantastic feel for setting up screens and cuts. Been much better this season about leveraging his movement for more rim attempts pic.twitter.com/cBCIMXQJkc
— Jam Hines (@jamontheboards) January 19, 2026

Additionally, Evans isn't just making more threes. He's become a multi-level scorer. The wing has found a driving game off the dribble, attacking the rim with intensity, while being able to create shots on his own and move without the ball very effectively.

He's become exactly what Duke needed him to be, and he's one of the major reasons for the Blue Devils' six-game win streak.

Dec 31, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer (right) and assistant coach Chris Carrawell direct players during the second half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 85-79. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

What's Next?

Duke's next game will be on Jan. 24 at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Wake Forest (11-7, 2-3 ACC).

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