Five Storylines to Watch: Duke vs. Tennessee at Cameron Indoor (Oct. 20) / sportsearchers.com

Duke hosts Tennessee in a preseason exhibition at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday, Oct. 20 (earlier listings had a 7 p.m. ET tip on ACC Network; confirm before game time). It’s Duke’s second preseason test, and a notable one: it’s Tennessee’s first visit to Cameron since Dec. 3, 1975, and the two are the only programs to reach the Elite Eight in each of the past three seasons. Duke won last year’s exhibition in Knoxville, 83-76.

1. A Portal-Built Offense vs. Duke’s Defense

Tennessee built the nation’s No. 3-ranked portal class, according to 247Sports, and could be one of the most prolific scoring teams in the country. The newcomers include Juke Harris, Jalen Haralson, Terrence Hill Jr. and Tyler Lundblade.

Duke’s defense held Belmont to 34.5% shooting and 7-for-30 from three. This is a much tougher test of whether that carries over.

2. Boumtje Boumtje vs. Real Size

Barnes added height: Vanderbilt transfer Jalen Washington is 6-foot-10, and another newcomer, Rubin, is also 6-foot-10. After scoring 19 points in his debut, Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje now faces bigs who are closer to his 7-foot-2 frame in both size and strength.

3. A Backcourt Without Caleb Foster

Foster is expected to miss this game with his ankle injury, so ball-handling falls to Cayden Boozer and freshman Deron Rippey Jr. The question is whether Blackwell shares playmaking duties, and how well Duke handles Tennessee’s pressure without its most experienced guard.

4. Discipline at the Line

Against Belmont, the teams combined for 48 free throws, with Duke taking 27 and committing 21 fouls. Tennessee is a physical team, so Duke can’t afford the same habits. Scheyer flagged discipline as an area to clean up.

5. Rotation Experiments

Scheyer used a 10-player rotation against Belmont and twice subbed four players at once. His stance on the lineup was open: “My mind is still open.” Expect more experimenting, since Tennessee is 25-2 in its last 27 exhibitions and will test whichever groups Duke tries.

Duke’s Potential Starting Five

Based on the Belmont starters and the injury news, the most likely group is:

Cayden Boozer, guard
John Blackwell, guard (Wisconsin transfer)
Dame Sarr, wing
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, forward/center
Patrick Ngongba II, center

Why this group: Boozer, Blackwell, Sarr, Boumtje Boumtje and Ngongba started the Belmont scrimmage. Foster is expected out, and Drew Scharnowski is also working back from a knee injury. Rippey is the most likely alternate if Scheyer wants another ball-handler.

Caveat: This is my projection, not an announced lineup, and Scheyer may shuffle it.

Tennessee Context

The Vols finished last season 25-12, reaching the Elite Eight for the third straight year before losing to eventual champion Michigan, and ranked No. 12 in the AP poll. They open the regular season against Wofford on Nov. 3, after hosting Xavier on Oct. 15.

History

The all-time series is even at eight wins apiece in regular-season meetings, and Tennessee won the lone Barnes-era matchup, 65-52 in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. This one carries no stakes, but it’s an early look at two likely Final Four-caliber teams.