Preview: #2 Duke Blue Devils (0-0) vs. UNC Pembroke (0-0)

G Jeremy Roach 6’2, 180lbs SR
G Tyrese Proctor 6’5, 183lbs SO
G Jared McCain 6’3, 197lbs FR
F Mark Mitchell  6’9, 232lbs SO
C Kyle Filipowski 7’0, 248lbs SO

G JaJuan Carr 6’2, 180lbs JR
G Bradlee Haskell 6’2, 180lbs JR
G Nygell Verdier 6’6, 200lbs JR
F Elijah Cobb 6’8, 200lbs RSJR
F Josh Berenbaum 6’8, 220lbs JR

Last Time Out

The Blue Devils take on UNC Pembroke out of the Conference Carolinas in their lone exhibition game of the 2023-2024 season. The Braves are located in Pembroke, NC, and are a Division II program. Their previous exhibition game was against No. 6 Houston where they were defeated 86-47. Houston scored 20 fast break points and 14 points off of turnovers on the way to the victory at the Fertitta Center. The Braves scored eight points off of the Cougars seven turnovers, picked up 21 points from its bench and added 26 points from the paint. UNC Pembroke finished the game shooting 34-percent from the field, while Houston shot 46-percent from the field.

Last Season

Last season UNC Pembroke finished with 26-4 overall record and an 18-2 record in their conference. They boasted 7 and 18 game winning streaks and 2 of their 4 losses came in the post-season.

The Braves return 2 double figure scorers from that 26 win season in Bradlee Haskell at 13.2 points per game with 2.3 assist and 36.9% from 3 and JaJuan Carr who scored 10.2 points per game, 2.8 assists, 55.7% from the field and 36% from 3. They also return their leading 3-point shooter in Nygell Verdier, a 6’6 junior guard, who shot it last season at a 40.4% clip and added 9.4 points per game and 6 rebounds.

Defensively, the Braves held their opponents to under 30% from 3-point range and under 68 points per game and had a scoring margin of +10.7 per game.

Last Time Out

This will be the Blue Devils first action of the season.

Last Season

The second-ranked Duke men’s basketball team plays its lone exhibition game on Wednesday by welcoming UNC Pembroke to Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils are coming off of a 27-9 season that saw them boast a 10 game winning streak. The Blue Devils also achieved an undefeated home season, the program’s ACC-leading 22nd ACC Tournament title and an NCAA Second Round appearance.

Former Duke All-American and two-time team captain Jon Scheyer made history with his head-coaching debut last season. He became just the third coach in ACC history to win the ACC Tournament in their first season and is the first to win an ACC title as both a player (2009, 2010) and as a coach (2023). The Blue Devils return 5 of their top 6 scorers and 3 of their 4 top rebounders from a season ago. Sophomore forward Kyle Filipowski, reigning ACC Rookie of the Year, was named ACC Preseason Player of the Year and was a unanimous pick for the Preseason All-ACC First Team, while his classmate, Tyrese Proctor landed on the Second Team. Duke welcomes four freshmen, all ranked inside 247Sports’ top 25, and three are ranked as the top player in their respective states per ESPN.

With several big time programs going down in the exhibition season the Blue Devils will have to make sure they step into this game with the proper intensity and focus. Even though the results will not count in the grand scheme of things, no one wants to have their first taste of the season being a loss to a Division II team with obviously inferior talent. For this Duke team, as old as they are for a Blue Devil team, they are still young compared to most of the teams they will face this season and that includes UNC Pembroke who start a team of juniors who have faced big time opponents before, including Houston just last week. They match the Blue Devils well in size at most position and are a good team defensively.

This game will be the first time we see Duke with their revamped defense since the loss of Dereck Lively II. Duke will still emphasize protecting the paint which begins, in my opinion, with how they pressure the ball on the perimeter. Making it tough on opposing guards will be the most effective way to limit what happens behind them. Limiting drives and choking off passing lanes will rule the day for the Blue Devils. Mark Mitchell will become Dukes most versatile defender and will be looked upon as the anchor. A newly hipped Kyle Filipowski should be a more athletic version of himself this season which could also be huge for the Devils defense. The Key for both Flip and Mitchell is to stay on the floor, not picking up needless fouls on the perimeter or putting themselves in harms way chasing every blocked shot. The ability to change a shot with your presence can be just as effective.

Offensively, this should be a much improved team – they have added shooters and the team is relatively healthy and with a full off-season under their belts I expect an improvement – especially in 3-point shooting. The Blue Devils will look to play fast on the offensive end, looking to rip and run with their plethora of guards and forwards who can all handle the ball on the break.