How Duke Paralyzed Louisville Star in Victory

The Duke basketball program (19-1, 8-0 ACC) put together potentially the best 40 minutes of basketball on both sides of the court all season on Monday night. The Blue Devils picked up their seventh victory over a ranked opponent against No. 20 Louisville (14-6, 4-4 ACC), 83-52.

Duke held Louisville to 30% shooting from the field and 11-of-34 (32%) shooting from three-point range. This was a complete flip from the first contest between the two programs on Jan. 6, where Duke entered the halftime locker room down 47-38.

Jan 26, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) reacts during a break in the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Jon Scheyer's club turned things around in the second half to etch an 84-73 victory on the road, but the sloppy first half on the defensive side of the ball left fans frustrated with the inconsistent effort on that end.

It couldn't have been any more different in the second go-around against the Cards, as Duke held them to their lowest point total of the entire season, while outscoring Louisville 45-24 in the second half.

Arguably, the biggest storyline heading into this one was the fact that Louisville 5-star guard Mikel Brown Jr. was back in the lineup. He had missed eight games, including the first edition of Duke vs. Louisville this season, with a lower back injury.

However, Duke still shut potentially Louisville's best player down.

Mikel Brown Jr. Completely Taken Out of Game in Duke Victory

After Brown's eight missed contests, he made his return to the rotation this past Saturday in an 85-71 victory for Louisville over Virginia Tech (15-6, 4-4 ACC). It looked like the prized rookie hadn't missed a beat.

Brown tallied 20 points and six assists in his return on 63.6% shooting from the field and 3-of-6 (50%) shooting from three. Not only did Duke limit Brown's opportunities on Monday night, but took him out of the game almost entirely.

"I want to thank our fans, the way our student body showed up... That was special. They set the stage for what was a great night for our team." pic.twitter.com/R2Uj9hDQ4N
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 27, 2026

The 6' 5" guard went for just seven points and four assists on 1-of-13 (7.7%) shooting from the floor and 1-of-7 (14.3%) shooting from the perimeter. This was Brown's third game held to single digits in scoring.

Brown is one of the most electric guards in college basketball, and so much of Louisville's offensive action revolves around him. He's an elite passer with the ability to score in so many different ways, and the Blue Devils were able to make him an afterthought in a dominant victory.

Pat Ngongb — Jan 17, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba II (21) looks on against the Stanford Cardinal in the second half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

What Does Duke’s Résumé Look Like?

Duke is now 7-1 against AP Top 25 opponents this season, with a 9-1 record in Quadrant 1 and a 12-1 record across the first two Quadrants. The Blue Devils are also 6-0 in true road games.

S/O @NikolasKhamenia man pic.twitter.com/ucla5Tns1a
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 27, 2026

No other team in college basketball has more Quad 1 wins than Duke, as Scheyer's club continues to boast arguably the best overall body of work in the entire sport.

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