Game Preview: Duke vs. Coastal Carolina

#2 Duke Blue Devils (1-0, 0-0 ACC) vs. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (0-1, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026 • 8:00 p.m. ET
Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) • Durham, N.C.
TV: ACC Network
Radio: Blue Devil Sports Network from LEARFIELD

Duke hosts the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in game 2 of the 26-27 season on Thursday night in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

2025–26 Season Recap

Duke enters the 2026–27 campaign coming off another outstanding season under Jon Scheyer, finishing 35–3 overall and 17–1 in ACC play. The Blue Devils captured both the ACC regular-season and tournament championships before advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, where their season ended with a heartbreaking 73–72 loss to UConn. Duke was one of the nation’s most balanced teams, averaging 81.6 points per game while allowing just 63.6, ranking among the country’s best defensive teams.

Despite losing significant production from last year’s roster, including its two leading scorers, Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans, Duke returns four of its top six scorers in Patrick Ngongba II, Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer, and Dame Sarr. That returning group gives Scheyer an experienced foundation, while the additions of several impact transfers and an intriguing freshman class provide the Blue Devils with plenty of options. The biggest questions will revolve around how quickly the newcomers adjust and how Duke replaces the scoring and leadership of the players who moved on.

Newcomers

Duke added nine newcomers for 2026–27, including three transfers and six freshmen. The group gives Scheyer additional backcourt depth, frontcourt size and several players who could factor into the rotation.

• John Blackwell – Transfer from Wisconsin; experienced guard expected to provide immediate scoring and perimeter production.

• Drew Scharnowski – Transfer from Belmont; 6’10 forward who averaged 10.7 points and 6.0 rebounds last season and earned First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors.

• Jacob Theodosiou – Transfer from Loyola Maryland; 6’4 guard who averaged 13.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists last season.

• Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje – 7’2 freshman forward/center with international experience.

• Bryson Howard – 6’4 freshman wing and former top-15 national recruit.

• Maxime Meyer – 7’1 freshman center from Canada.

• Deron Rippey Jr. – Highly regarded freshman point guard from Brooklyn.

• Cameron Williams – 7’0 freshman forward from Arizona.

• Nick Arnold – Freshman guard from North Carolina.

Last Time Out

Duke opened the season with an 84–50 victory over Army on Tuesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils used their size and defensive pressure to take control, forcing 24 turnovers and limiting the Black Knights to 50 points. Dame Sarr led Duke with 16 points, while freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje made an impressive debut with 15 points. Patrick Ngongba II added 10 points and seven rebounds, and Army was led by Kevin McCarthy’s 17 points. Duke struggled from three-point range, shooting just 4-of-22, but its defensive effort and ability to score inside helped produce a comfortable season-opening win.

2025–26 Season Recap

Coastal Carolina enters the 2026–27 season looking to build on a 19–13 campaign that saw the Chanticleers finish 11–7 in Sun Belt play and earn a tie for second place in the conference standings. Under head coach Justin Gray, Coastal averaged 73.3 points per game while allowing 72.6, establishing itself as one of the better teams in the league. The challenge this season is replacing a significant amount of that production, as the Chanticleers return just three players from last year’s team.

DaJohn Craig, Derrick Green, and Tristan Thompson are the three returning players. Craig appeared in all 32 games and connected on 35 three-pointers while shooting 37.2 percent from beyond the arc. Green provides experience and a physical presence in the frontcourt, while Thompson returns after averaging 4.0 points and 4.2 rebounds as a freshman. With so much roster turnover, Gray will be counting on the incoming group to make an immediate impact as Coastal attempts to remain competitive in the Sun Belt.

Newcomers

Coastal added a large group of newcomers, including eight transfers and four freshmen. The group features a combination of Division I experience, proven production at the lower levels and developmental prospects.

• Ashton Hardaway – Transfer from Memphis; former four-star recruit with extensive Division I experience.

• Jaylen Cross – Transfer from Wake Forest; former 2,000-point high school scorer.

• Caleb Middleton – Transfer from Elon; 6’11 center with two years of Division I experience.

• Trey Perry – Transfer from Miami (Ohio); guard who averaged 5.8 points as a freshman.

• Darius Washington III – Transfer from Kennesaw State.

• Drew Fuquay – Transfer from Marshall; 6’8 forward.

• Fletcher Bigham – Transfer from Sewanee; averaged 19.4 points and 11.0 rebounds last season.

• Jaevian Alston – Transfer from Mount Olive; averaged 13.1 points and 6.7 rebounds as a freshman.

• Jordan Buzzard – Freshman forward.

• Q Williams IV – Freshman guard.

• Bryson Sams – Freshman guard who averaged 21.5 points per game as a high school senior.

• JT Kelsheimer – Freshman guard from Ohio.

Last Time Out

Coastal Carolina opened the 2026–27 season with a heartbreaking 71–70 loss to Eastern Michigan on Monday night at the HTC Center. The Chanticleers led 37–34 at halftime and held the advantage for much of the contest, but Eastern Michigan made six free throws in the final 23 seconds to escape with the victory. Trey Perry led Coastal with 20 points in his Chanticleer debut, while Darius Washington III added 13 points off the bench and Jaylen Cross finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. DaJohn Craig had nine points, including a three-pointer at the buzzer that brought Coastal within one.

Patrick Ngongba II vs. Caleb Middleton

This is an important matchup because of the size and physicality Duke can bring to the interior. Middleton, a 6-foot-11 transfer from Elon, gives Coastal a legitimate frontcourt presence, but he’ll have his hands full with Ngongba. The Duke junior is coming off a strong season and has the ability to score around the basket, rebound and protect the rim. If Ngongba can establish himself early, Coastal could have a difficult time keeping Duke out of the paint. Middleton’s ability to hold his ground and keep Ngongba from dominating the glass will be important for the Chanticleers.

John Blackwell vs. Ashton Hardaway

This is another intriguing matchup, particularly because of the importance of perimeter scoring for both teams. Blackwell arrives at Duke after averaging 19.1 points per game at Wisconsin and gives the Blue Devils a proven scoring option on the perimeter. Hardaway brings Division I experience and the size to defend multiple positions. Coastal will need someone capable of making Blackwell work for his opportunities, while Hardaway could also be an important offensive piece against Duke’s perimeter defense.

Coastal has a lot of new faces, but several of those newcomers already showed they can contribute in the opener. Perry, Washington and Cross combined for 43 points against Eastern Michigan. Duke, meanwhile, has a much more established returning core and a deeper collection of high-level talent. The contrast in roster continuity and experience should be an important storyline heading into the matchup.

Duke coaches were not satisfied with how the Blue Devils played in stretches against Army; the game against Coastal will show how they took to what probably was a very pointed practice and film session this week. I expect a much more spirited effort from Duke on both ends of the floor to the dismay of Coastal Carolina fans