Duke is playing like it’s already March, absolutely dropping a hammer on Tennessee with a ridiculous 54-30 lead at halftime in their exhibition game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. This ain’t even the regular season yet, but if this is a “Final Four preview” as everyone’s saying, then the Blue Devils are looking like they’re ready to run right through it.
Duke’s Depth Is Legit
Seriously, the hype about this Duke squad being the deepest of the Jon Scheyer era? It’s not just talk. We saw it on full display, especially with young Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje already looking way ahead of his years. The dude had 4 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, and an insane 3 blocks in just 11 minutes. He’s a monster! Patrick Ngongba II was electric, dropping 11 points and 5 rebounds with 2 blocks himself. Dame Sarr also added 11 points, showing off some serious scoring punch. And don’t sleep on Deron Rippey Jr. with 10 points or John Blackwell with 8. Everyone contributed, and it felt like they couldn’t miss, shooting a collective 19-32 from the field and 7-15 from three. That kind of balanced attack and efficiency is scary for any opponent. This team is built for a “championship-or-bust” season, and they’re playing like it.
Tennessee’s Experience Needs to Show Up
For Tennessee, who just re-tooled with what’s called the “most impressive transfer portal class” after an Elite Eight run, this halftime score has to sting. They’ve got “a wealth of experience,” but it just wasn’t enough to contain Duke’s attack in the first half. Juke Harris put up 7 points and Troy Henderson had 10, including two big threes, but the rest of the team struggled to find rhythm. They only managed to score 30 points total, shooting 11-28 from the field as a team. You know they’ll be looking to make some serious adjustments to get that offense going, especially with all eyes on how each team positions itself for the start of the season.
This exhibition might be just a taste, but Duke came out with a statement. You gotta wonder if Tennessee can bridge that 24-point gap. This is the kind of early look that gets you hyped for the real games. What a way to kick off the pre-season!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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