Three Things Duke Basketball Is Thankful For In 2025

Duke is off to another great start this season, but the competition hasn't exactly matched the Blue Devils yet.

Still, Jon Scheyer has had his batch of freshmen ready to go and clicking early this season. The Blue Devils have won every game this season by double-digits, with different contributors stepping up along the way.

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

Cameron Boozer has led the way as the star of the recruiting class, landing his name on watch lists for several prestigious awards, including the Wooden Award. Duke has also found help from veterans like sharpshooter Isaiah Evans on the wing and even center Patrick Ngongba II developing an offensive game underneath.

Nov 21, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) reacts as he comes off the court during a break in the first half against the Niagara Purple Eagles at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

There are several things for Duke to be thankful for before tipping off against No. 22 Arkansas on Thanksgiving Day. Here are a few things Duke fans should be thankful for.

Jon Scheyer's Recruiting

Nov 4, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer watches the play against the Texas Longhorns during the first half of the Dick Vitale’s Invitational game at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

A program with such a rich history on the hardwood like Duke has will naturally attract the nation's best talent. Scoring the country's top recruiting class is a success, but not an unprecedented one.

However, the scale that Scheyer has been able to recruit to is incredible. Not just landing a few guys at the top of prospect lists, but several to replace a lineup that gets shipped off to the NBA every season.

Nov 4, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) drives the ball against the Texas Longhorns during the first half of the Dick Vitale’s Invitational game at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

Scheyer brought in Cameron and Cayden Boozer, alongside Dame Sarr, Nikolas Khamenia, and more for this season after losing stars like Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel. So far, all of them have risen to the occasion.

Again, a program like Duke should recruit itself, but Scheyer's ability to sell players on his vision and sometimes sit for a year before getting true action is impressive. Ngongba came off the bench sparingly last season, and now is a top player in the starting lineup.

Nov 18, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba (21) slaps hand with head coach Jon Scheyer after fouling out of the game during the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Sarr and Khamenia both came to Durham knowing one would likely take several minutes and a starting spot from the other. However, Scheyer's track record of developing players over several years is a differentiating factor.

The Blue Devils return players each season who might not have played a ton, but would be standouts anywhere else. That's the superpower that Scheyer has that keeps this program contending every single year.

The Boozer Twins

Nov 14, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) is greeted by teammates after scoring during the second half against the Indiana State Sycamores at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Cameron and Cayden Boozer, twin brothers and sons of former Duke standout Carlos Boozer, have been simply excellent this season.

Cameron has led with 21.1 points per game along with 9.9 rebounds, four assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, all of which lead the team. He's a do-it-all player with the explosiveness to score against any defender underneath and the savviness to facilitate as a great passer from the outside.

Nov 4, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) battles for position against Texas Longhorns forward Nic Codie (10) during the first quarter at the Dick Vitale’s Invitational game at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

While he is still finding his shooting stroke from distance, the early returns have not been bad, knocking down a cool 37% of his shots from the perimeter.

Cayden has come off the bench so far, rotating with veteran guard Caleb Foster at the point guard spot. Boozer is averaging 7.4 points per game with three rebounds, four assists and 1.1 steals per game.

Nov 11, 2025; West Point, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) dribbles past Army Black Knights guard Brendon O'Keefe (14) during the second half at Christl Arena. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images | Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Even while coming off the bench, Boozer could be Duke's best option for a facilitating passer and organizing the offense. The last time Duke had a player average at least five assists per game was Tre Jones, who had 6.4 assists per game during the 2019-20 season. Boozer could be a candidate to break that streak with more minutes.

Duke should be grateful to have such a power duo come through the program together at the same time and be so efficient with the offense. Duke could really use a star like Cayden to break out at the guard spot, given the lack of a true point guard the past few seasons.

A Gradual Schedule

Nov 23, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba II (second from right) reacts with teammates after a dunking and being fouled during the second half against the Howard Bison at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

So far, Duke hasn't had to schedule aggressively, given the roster makeup and the reputation that Scheyer has established with his teams in Durham.

The Blue Devils did schedule aggressively in exhibition play, hosting UCF from the Big 12 and traveling to SEC power Tennessee, handling both with ease. The dominant victories may have been a sign that Duke would have been fine with a tougher schedule in the regular season, but instead, the Blue Devils have been allowed to slowly ramp up.

Nov 23, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; The Duke Blue Devils mascot during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke cruised through games against Texas, Western Carolina, a trip to West Point against Army, and back home against Indiana State before its first true test against Kansas. In those games, Duke had huge performances from Boozer, Sarr, Ngongba, Evans and others, but they also had some of those guys struggle.

Those down games offered opportunities for different faces to step up and shine, making Duke a more well-rounded team headed into the tougher parts of the schedule.

Nov 23, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Isaiah Evans (3) shoots over Howard Bison forward Travelle Bryson (32) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Thanksgiving marks the start of one of those tough stretches, and the toughest before ACC play begins. After facing Arkansas in Chicago, the Blue Devils will host No. 10 Florida and travel to East Lansing to meet No. 11 Michigan State in consecutive games. Duke will also return to Madison Square Garden before Christmas to face No. 20 Texas Tech.

Nov 23, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer directs his team during the second half against the Howard Bison at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

That stretch could contain the first loss of the season for the Blue Devils, but at the very least, Duke's options on offense for those games are clearer now than they were preseason, thanks to the ability to test different lineups and rotations through the early portion of the schedule.

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