Five Takeaways From Duke’s Blowout of No. 8 Tennessee in Exhibition / sportsearchers.com

Duke routed preseason No. 8 Tennessee 101-64 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in an exhibition that was supposed to be a tough test and wasn’t. The Blue Devils opened on a 29-6 run over the first nine minutes and led 54-30 at the half. They did it without Caleb Foster and Drew Scharnowski, who both sat out. The game doesn’t count, but Duke looked like a top team in the country.

One note on the score: the earlier game report you shared had it at 103-64, and this one says 101-64. Check the official box score before publishing.

1. The defense is already elite

Defense is a given under Jon Scheyer. Duke ranked in the top five nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency in each of the last two seasons, and this group looks capable of doing it again. Patrick Ngongba and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje give the Blue Devils a big, rim-protecting frontcourt, Dame Sarr is among the nation’s best perimeter defenders, and length is everywhere. Against Tennessee, Duke held the Volunteers under 40% shooting and forced double-digit turnovers.

2. Boumtje Boumtje handled the physical test

The main question about the 17-year-old freshman was whether he could hold up against bruising teams. He had dominated Belmont, but Tennessee, a Rick Barnes team known for toughness, was a stronger test. He passed it. In 21 minutes he scored 11 points, grabbed four rebounds and blocked three shots. If he can handle Tennessee’s physicality, most of Duke’s schedule shouldn’t bother him.

3. Rippey is forcing his way into the rotation

Nobody knows how Scheyer will divide guard minutes once Foster is healthy. It’s tempting to think freshman Deron Rippey Jr. would lose out, but his play suggests otherwise. He led Duke with 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-6 from three, and he also provided a highlight dunk. The writer says Rippey looks like a star right now, not a future one. A Duke fan account captured the dunk with the caption “DERON RIPPEY JR. CAN FLY.”

4. Blackwell scores without fuss

Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell can get a basket whenever he wants one, a luxury Duke’s backcourt has lacked in recent years. He isn’t flashy, and you often don’t notice him until you see he’s in double figures. He had 18 points in 21 minutes, going 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-6 from three. That kind of scoring matters now, and the article says it will matter even more in March.

5. Cameron Williams needs patience

Five-star forward Cameron Williams, the top-ranked recruit in Duke’s class, will likely take longer to contribute than Boumtje Boumtje and Rippey have. An illness has set him back, and he is more raw than those two. He has fallen further down the rotation than anyone expected, and his path to minutes gets harder when Scharnowski returns. But flashes of his potential are there, and the article says that if he keeps working, his chance will come.

What’s next

Duke closes the preseason against Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse on Oct. 25, according to the earlier game report. Expect Foster’s and Scharnowski’s availability to be a major storyline there.