Why Duke Kicks Off Grueling Trip With Sneaky Test

The Duke Blue Devils are coming off an impressive home victory over the No. 24 SMU Mustangs, earning an 82–75 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Against SMU, sophomore Isaiah Evans continued his scoring surge, posting his third straight 20-plus point performance with 21 points. Evans shot an efficient 5-for-11 from the field, knocked down 4-of-8 attempts from three-point range, and went 7-for-8 from the free-throw line.

Cameron Boozer added a quiet but effective 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. In his first game coming off the bench this season, Patrick Ngongba II provided a spark with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 at the free-throw line.

Now, the Blue Devils turn their attention to the start of a West Coast road trip, beginning with a matchup against the 13–4 California Golden Bears, who are looking to bounce back after dropping two consecutive games.

Scouting Cal

In his first two seasons as Cal’s head coach, Mark Madsen struggled to find consistent success, posting records of 13–19 and 14–19. Entering his third season, Madsen faced increased pressure to turn the program around—and this year, he has done just that. Already, the Golden Bears have matched their combined win total from the previous two seasons.

Jan 6, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC Yum! Center. Duke defeated Louisville 84-73. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Much of Cal’s improvement stems from a productive offseason in the transfer portal, where Madsen added players who fit his preferred up-tempo, guard-driven style of play.

That transformation begins with Dai Dai Ames and Justin Pippen, both of whom transferred to Cal and have flourished after uneven stints at their previous schools.

Jan 3, 2026; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer during the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Dai Dai Ames

Ames, a member of the 2023 recruiting class, began his college career at Kansas State, where he struggled offensively, averaging just 5.2 points per game while shooting 35.3% from the field and 32.9% from three-point range. After transferring to Virginia, Ames showed marked improvement, averaging 8.7 points per game while shooting 46% from the field and 39.7% from beyond the arc.

Following another move via the transfer portal, Ames has emerged as one of the ACC’s most dangerous scorers this season. He leads Cal with 17.9 points per game—eighth best in the conference—while shooting an impressive 50% from the field on 12.8 attempts per game and 44.6% from three-point range.

Justin Pippen

Justin Pippen has complemented Ames well as Cal’s second scoring option. After struggling to find consistent minutes during his freshman season at Michigan, Pippen transferred to Cal and immediately carved out a significant role.

While his shooting efficiency has been inconsistent—38.4% from the field and 34.6% from three—Pippen has impacted the game in other ways. He leads the Golden Bears in assists at 4.1 per game and has been a strong perimeter defender, averaging 1.9 steals per contest.

As Duke opens its West Coast trip, the matchup with Cal presents more than just a routine road game. Behind a revitalized roster and confident guard play, the Golden Bears have become one of the ACC’s most improved teams. For the Blue Devils, maintaining their offensive balance and defensive focus will be key if they want to avoid a potential trap game and continue building momentum away from Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Keep up with 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.