Scheyer Emphasizes Defense After Duke Exhibition

Duke coach Jon Scheyer has made winning a national championship the stated goal and is stressing chemistry, effort and a defense-first identity as he prepares this roster. In an exhibition at Tennessee, Duke overcame a sloppy first half to finish strong; Scheyer praised the team’s second-half physicality after Patrick Ngongba’s early foul trouble and with Maliq Brown held out. Freshman Cameron Boozer delivered a breakout performance, finishing with 24 points and 23 rebounds (15 in the first half) and showing playmaking upside on several outlet and cross-court passes. Coverage of the Knoxville tune-up highlighted areas for improvement, particularly interior defense and rotation depth, as the offense continues to take shape. Across the ACC, Louisville has re-emerged under Pat Kelsey after a 27-8 turnaround last season and enters the year with added expectations around freshman Mikel Brown Jr. and transfer sharpshooter Ryan Conwell. Duke’s reputation as an NBA pipeline was noted as recent Blue Devils — including Paolo Banchero, Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg — have begun their professional seasons with varied early performances.