Preface this write up again by saying it was just an exhibition, one that Duke won 103-64 against the Tennessee Volunteers. The Blue Devils never really were threatened as this Vols team isn’t where they will be come December and January but for Duke there was a lot to like and still a lot to clean up. I know that doesn’t sound like the beat down that the score reflects but I try to keep a level head and be critical in the face of my own fandom.
How the Game Was Won/Lost
Duke looked sharp to begin this game, really looking to run and move the ball. A lot of guys looked good, and even without 2 probable starters, Drew Scharnowski and Caleb Foster, they didn’t miss much of a beat. After a 2-2 even start, the Blue Devils went on a 29-9 run to effectively seal the game at the 10-minute mark of the first half. Duke’s defense, minus a few breakdowns, was suffocating with Dame Sarr and Rippey Jr. as the head of the snake. Rippey alone accounted for 3 of the Duke’s 10 steals. They also blocked 7 shots against a Rick Barnes program that is usually much more defensively stout than they showed today.
By the Numbers
It was hard not to come away astounded by the play of freshman Deron Rippey Jr. This wasn’t a freshman going up against other freshmen; Rippey was the best player on both ends of the court tonight, and it wasn’t particularly close. The freshman point guard dropped 21 points to lead the Blue Devils on 9-12 shooting, 3-6 from beyond the arc. He also dished 3 assists and 3 steals and just 1 turnover in his 21 minutes on the court. He was fun to watch—I keep saying it; there is no fear in that kid. John Blackwell was steady in this game; he picked and chose his spots, but his stroke is flawless. The senior scored 18 points on 6-8 shooting and 4-6 from beyond the arc. Mark my words, he’s going to score 30 in a game this year. Dame Sarr poured in 15 points on 6 of 9 shooting, played suffocating defense and carried himself like the vocal leader of this team. The difference is night and day from last year in terms of his confidence and swagger. Patrick Ngonba added 13 points on 4-6 shooting, pulling down 7 boards for the Blue Devils. Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje added 11 points, going 5-7 from the floor, adding 3 blocks to Duke’s total of 7. Sebastian Wilkins also made his imprint on his game, playing not like the redshirt freshman he is but like a confident junior. Wilkins scored 11 points on 3-6 shooting; he also pulled down 5 rebounds and played some great defense. It’s going to be hard to keep Wilkins off the floor; he feels like a gamer teeming with confidence.
| # | Player | PTS | FG | 3FG | FT | OR | DR | REB | A | PF | TO | BL | ST | MIN | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2* |
BOOZER,C
|
2 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 21 | |
| 7* |
SARR,D
|
15 | 6-9 | 1-3 | 2-3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 24 | |
| 13* |
BLACKWELL,J
|
18 | 6-8 | 4-6 | 2-2 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | |
| 21* |
NGONGBA,P
|
13 | 4-6 | 1-1 | 4-4 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 19 | |
| 30* |
BOUMTJE BOUMTJE
|
11 | 5-7 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 21 | |
| 3 |
RIPPEY JR.,D
|
21 | 9-12 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 21 | |
| 5 |
WILKINS,S
|
11 | 3-6 | 1-3 | 4-4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | |
| 12 |
HOWARD,B
|
4 | 0-6 | 0-6 | 4-4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 17 | |
| 14 |
WILLIAMS,C
|
2 | 1-4 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 15 |
MEYER,M
|
1 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| 26 |
THEODOSIOU,J
|
3 | 1-3 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 50 |
DAVIS,B
|
0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 55 |
ARNOLD,N
|
0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| TM |
TEAM,
|
– | – | – | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| TOTALS | 101 | 35-66 | 12-33 | 19-21 | 12 | 33 | 45 | 16 | 20 | 10 | 7 | 10 | |||
| GAME PCT | 53.0 | 36.4 | 90.5 | ||||||||||||
| THIS HALF | 47 | 18-35 | 5-15 | 6-8 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |||
| HALF PCT | 51.4 | 33.3 | 75.0 | ||||||||||||
Player of the Game:
It’s hard not to give Deron Rippey Jr. the player of the game status; he was everywhere and a joy to watch. Sebastian Wilkins and his play definitely get the honorable mention. Both guys boxed over their weight class tonight
What We Learned About Duke
Takeaways
- maybe the depth is real
- what does this team look like at full strength?
- Jon Scheyer is going to have a much tougher job this season managing minutes—especially in the backcourt.
What Comes Next
Next up for the Blue Devils is a trip to Allen Fieldhouse on Sunday to take on the Kansas Jayhawks in their last preseason game before Army comes to Cameron Indoor on November 2nd.
