Duke Sophomore Officially on Hot Streak

The No. 3-ranked Duke Blue Devils improved to 24-2 overall and 13-1 in conference play following a dominant 101-64 defeat of Syracuse (15-12, 6-8 ACC) at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Monday night. Following a heartbreaking defeat to No. 16 North Carolina (20-5, 8-4 ACC) last weekend, the Blue Devils have now won their last three games by an average margin of 22 points.

This was a Quadrant 2 game for Duke, which is now 16-2 across the first two quadrants and 13-0 at home on the 2025-26 campaign. As of late, the Blue Devils have looked stellar on both sides of the ball, and it looks like the squad is heating up at the right time.

Feb 14, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer (right) directs his team during the second half against the Clemson Tigers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Next up for Duke is a massive resume-boosting opportunity, as the Blue Devils will head to Washington, D.C. to take on No. 1 Michigan at Capital One Arena on Saturday. The matchup could potentially be the best game of the entire college basketball season.

The Wolverines boast a three-headed monster inside with 6'9" Yaxel Lendeborg, 6'9" Morez Johnson, and 7'3" Aday Mara. The Blue Devils make their money in the paint, but if there is any team that can slow them down, it's Michigan.

Michigan’s Frontcourt Will Be Hard for Duke To Deal With

The Wolverines have looked like one of the most dominant teams in recent memory at times, having defeated 10 opponents this season by 30 or more points. Much of that has to do with the elite frontcourt Dusty May has at his disposal.

According to KenPom, Michigan ranks second in the country in two-point field goal percentage (63.0%) and also second nationally in two-point field goal percentage defense (42.8%).

ada — Feb 11, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) dunks the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Duke comes in at fourth nationally in two-point field goal percentage (62.0). The Blue Devils are also 120th nationally in team three-point percentage (34.9).

The Blue Devils will likely need the three-ball more than it usually does against an elite Wolverines frontline, and the team's best shooter is on a heater at the perfect time.

Isaiah Evans Has Been Red Hot

Evans has the potential to be one of the best outside shooters in the nation, but he's been hot and cold throughout the year. Over Duke's last few games, Evans has been outstanding, and a hot streak for the sophomore couldn't have come at a better time.

The North Carolina native tallied 21 points on 8-of-13 (61.5%) shooting from the field and 3-of-6 (50%) shooting from three against Syracuse. Across the Blue Devils' last three games, Evans is averaging 19.6 points per game on 12-of-21 (57.1%) from the perimeter.

Duke will need Evans to step up against Michigan, and it looks like his confidence is high heading into the premier contest.

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