Why Duke’s Win Over Stanford Was Its Best Game Yet

The Duke basketball program (17-1, 6-0 ACC) now has an extended layoff from game action after a two-game West Coast road trip against California (14-5, 2-4 ACC) and Stanford (14-5, 3-3 ACC). The Blue Devils took down Cal 71-56 on Jan. 14 and defeated the Cardinal in dominant fashion, 80-50, on Jan. 17.

Duke has been a second-half squad this season. In big games, slow starts have plagued the Blue Devils, and it has taken near-flawless second halves, along with star play from rookie sensation Cameron Boozer, to secure the team victories.

Jan 10, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) reacts during the second half against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

The same was true against Cal. Duke entered the halftime break with a 37-30 lead while relying on forced shots from the three-point line to generate offense. The second half was a different story, and Duke began to find rhythm on the offensive side of the ball when it saw a paint touch early and worked out of it.

Jon Scheyer has said that this team works at its best offensively when it moves the basketball inside-out. Against Stanford, this was the best execution of the season from Duke in terms of being intentional about getting the ball inside and utilizing kick-outs when available.

Jan 17, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) celebrates his basket against the Stanford Cardinal in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Duke Firing on All Cylinders Offensively Against Stanford

From the jump, Stanford never seemed to have a chance. Duke made it a point to get the ball inside and use its elite length and versatility on all positions to its advantage. There were no three-point-happy periods of the game where the Blue Devils diminished a big lead like fans have seen in the past, just a crisp offense.

Duke shot 56% from the field on the night against the Cardinal, while only 10 of its 50 shot attempts came from beyond the arc. The Blue Devils assisted on 16 of 28 made field goals while dominating the paint, outscoring Stanford 44-20 in that regard.

"It was a great win and probably the most collective performance we've had on both sides of the ball," Scheyer said after the win over Stanford." We knew it was hard to come out here on the west coast trip and get two wins... Proud of our guys to not just get the win, but grow and get better."

Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) during the game against Louisville during ACC play January 6, 2026. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Duke Put Defensive Dominance Back on Display

There had been games throughout the last few weeks when the Blue Devils simply didn't look completely connected or engaged for all 40 minutes on the defensive side of the ball. It was always clear how elite Duke was defensively, as it was able to turn on another gear when it found itself in a deficit.

But against the Cardinal, it was an entire game of suffocating defense.

Duke held Stanford 35% shooting from the field and 24% from three, a game after the Cardinal shot 57% from the field and 57% from the perimeter in a 95-50 win over No. 14 North Carolina (14-4, 2-3 ACC) just a few days prior.

Duke also held Stanford freshman star Ebuka Okorie, the leading scorer in the ACC heading into the contest at 22.9 points per game, to nine points on 3-of-9 (33.3%) shooting. This was the second game all season where Okorie was limited to single-digits in the scoring column.

Maliq Brown Highlights at Stanford 😈🌲 pic.twitter.com/FGcmMxxLs8
— DukeLights 𝕏 (@dukelightsx) January 18, 2026

The Blue Devils built a ton of momentum out West with possibly their best two-game performance all year. Next up for the Blue Devils is a home game against Wake Forest (11-7, 2-3 ACC) on Jan. 24.

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