What John Blackwell Proving With Duke Basketball Beyond Just Scoring

The Duke Blue Devils took a step forward in their second game of the regular season, and now gear up for a neutral-site bout against No. 6 Michigan State on Nov. 10.

Duke defeated Coastal Carolina 113-52 on Thursday night at Cameron to move to 2-0 this season. It was another near-flawless defensive game for Jon Scheyer's club, and offensively, it certainly made some strides.

Now, the Blue Devils took strides offensively against the Chanticleers, but John Blackwell, the team's best all-around scorer, is still trying to find his footing there. However, his slow start in the scoring department has actually shown how much he can impact a game beyond just points.

Nov 5, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard John Blackwell (13) lays the ball up over Coastal Carolina Chanticleers guard Jaylen Cross (9) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

John Blackwell Is More Than Just a Scorer

John Blackwell was one of the top talents in the transfer portal cycle this offseason, and after he committed to Duke, it was easy to see why he could take on a role as the Blue Devils' No. 1 scoring option. He averaged 19.1 points per game on 43% shooting from the field and 38.9% shooting from three-point range on 7.3 attempts last season at Wisconsin. The 6'5" guard notched 20 or more points in 16 games last season and 30 or more in five.

Blackwell is the only proven efficient high-volume scorer on this team, so it was easy to see how he'd take on the primary scoring role. He's still this team's best all-around scorer and one of the best scoring guards in college basketball, but it's been a somewhat slow start in the scoring column for the former Badger this year.

In Duke's opener against Army, Blackwell went for three points on 1-of-6 shooting from the floor and 1-of-5 shooting from three-point range. Against Coastal Carolina, the senior tallied 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, but much of that production came in the second half. Duke ran some action to get him going early, but the shots weren't falling at a high clip.

However, what Blackwell has shown over his first two games as a Blue Devil is that he isn't just a scorer, and even when he's not leading the scoring charge for Duke, he can still impact winning in a big way. He looked tremendous defensively in the first half and made plays for others, rather than strictly hunting his own shot.

That's been Blackwell's most impressive trait so far. It's no secret that he's the most proven scorer on this team, but he's not forcing himself into that role. He still makes the right plays, makes his teammates better, and finds ways to impact winning even when shots aren't falling.

Now, don't get me wrong. Blackwell will still be a huge plus for this team in terms of scoring, and he's still probably going to be Duke's leading scorer. But what stands out about him is that he isn't forcing that part of the game to define his role. He's a big winner among a team littered with big winners.

Nov 2, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer directs his players during the second half against the Army Black Knights at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jon Scheyer Sees Greater Impact for Blackwell

After the Blue Devils' win over Coastal Carolina, Scheyer discussed how Blackwell is doing much more for this team than simply scoring the basketball.

"For me, like, even in the first half, he didn't score, I thought he played really well. You know, his defense was really good," Scheyer said.

"But the biggest thing, he's just a team guy. You know, he's just a team guy," Scheyer later added. "And it would be easy to come into this game and hunt and try to force up shots or get your scoring average going again. He came here to win. He came here to continue to develop and be a part of a great team and I just love his approach and attitude that he had tonight."

Blackwell will find his footing as a scorer. He's tallied single digits in the scoring column just 12 times over the last two seasons combined. Still, it's incredibly impressive how he has bought into helping this team win first and isn't forcing himself into a defined role as a scorer.

The Blue Devils totaled 84 points on 49% shooting from the field against Army. It logged 113 points on 61% shooting as a team against Coastal Carolina. It did both without its best scorer leading the charge. Duke's already improving on the offensive end, but there's more there.

Watch Our Latest Podcast

Add us as a preferred source on Google