Scheyer Knows ‘What’s Working’ for Duke's Offense

The Duke Blue Devils (18-1, 7-0 ACC) are the lone undefeated ACC team in conference play and have now rattled off two straight victories by 20 points or more. The Blue Devils have been trying to find their identity on the offensive side of the ball all season, and it seems like the team is starting to find a rhythm.

Through the early part of league play, despite the Blue Devils winning every game, there were several question marks around how they operated on offense.

Duke became three-point happy at times and was forcing tons of shots from the outside, which isn't how the Blue Devils will dominate on the offensive end.

Head coach Jon Scheyer builds his teams around positional length and versatility, and attacking that in the paint is how Duke becomes unstoppable. Over the team's last few games, it has put that on display.

Duke Dominates in Paint Once Again

Duke destroyed Wake Forest in the paint, scoring 48 of its 90 points in that area, while the Demon Deacons could only muster 16 of their own. Over the Blue Devils' last three contests, they have outscored their opponents 134-52 in the paint, marking a +82 margin. Duke is also averaging 14.3 offensive boards per game over that stretch.

With Duke's elite size that becomes overwhelming for almost any other team in the nation, Duke thrives when the ball gets inside the paint early, and it works inside-out.

Cam made 32/9/4 look real easy today pic.twitter.com/ZIgIWploAf
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 24, 2026

Jon Scheyer knows the offensive glass and getting the ball inside is a recipe for consistent success.

"I think for us, not to get bored with what's working," Scheyer said after the win over Wake Forest. "That was our advantage in this game. It's our advantage probably most games with how we're trying to play."

Final box | Wake Forest pic.twitter.com/zXpMX1P2UZ
— #DukeMBBStats (@DukeMBBStats) January 24, 2026

"If you think about the free throws and the points in the paint, that's 69 points in the paint or at the foul line."

The Blue Devils put together one of their best performances of the year at the charity stripe against Wake, going 21-of-24 (88%) as a team.

Jan 24, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) drives to the basket as Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Myles Colvin (6) defends during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke is clicking offensively, and although there are still questions to figure out about the team, there's no question that the Blue Devils are heading in the right direction.

Could Weather Affect Duke’s Next Game?

Next up, Duke is slated to take on No. 23 Louisville (13-5, 3-3 ACC) at Cameron on Monday night. However, an impending snowstorm could pose issues for the contest.

The Blue Devils were originally slated to tip off against Wake at 5:45 pm ET, but it was moved up to 12:00 pm ET with the weather implications.

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