Duke Off to Perfect Start that Many Did Not See Coming

Coming into this season, we did not want the type of team we were going to see from the Duke Blue Devils. We knew that we were bringing in a lot of great young freshmen, and that was going to mix with the rest of the roster of sophomores and upperclassmen.

That was one major question Duke had going into this season. How were the youth and returners going to mesh? Because you know, when you get some big-time freshmen, sometimes it throws off the chemistry of the team early on.

That was not the case for the Blue Devils. This team has come out and fired on all cylinders. A lot of credit has to go to head coach Jon Scheyer and his coaching staff. They are becoming one of the best coaching staffs in all of college basketball.

They have proven that they can develop players for the NBA and go out and recruit top high school players as well. They are team guys, and they make them better players during their team with this great program.

Nov 21, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer directs his team during the second half against the Niagara Purple Eagles at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

The Blue Devils are one of the few remaining unbeaten teams in all of college basketball. That is something a lot of people around the game did not see coming. With the schedule they had and the unproven team they were coming into the season, many thought they would go through a lot more growing pains than they have had. That is not the case. This team was ready to roll and has faced every challenge head-on, and has come out on top.

Cameron Boozer as advertised

"Boozer came to Duke as the third overall player in the 2025 class by both ESPN and 247Sports. Ten games into the season, the 6-foot-9 forward is leading Duke in points per game (23), rebounds (9.9), assists (3.8) and steals (1.7). He has recorded five double-doubles, his last coming in Duke's win at Michigan State where he posted 18 points with 15 rebounds," said Anna Sndyer of The Fayetteville Observer.

Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) shoots over Florida Gators forward Alex Condon (21) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] | Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Elite defensive play

"Duke's defense ranks third in KenPom adjusted efficiency and ranks No. 1 on the site in effective field goal percentage (40). Whether in man-to-man or zone sets, which they utilized well vs. Michigan State when Cam Boozer got into foul trouble, the Blue Devils’ defense is elite when it comes to switching, making it hard for opposing offenses to penetrate the paint and get good looks. They're holding teams to 59.6 points per game, good for fourth in the NCAA."

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