With yet another comeback win in their back pocket, the Duke Blue Devils are 14-1 overall and 3-0 against ACC opponents.
Most recently, the Blue Devils defeated the Louisville Cardinals 84-73 after trailing by nine points at halftime. During the game, Duke's stars Isaiah Evans and Cameron Boozer combined for 50 points, but the biggest takeaways didn't come from that duo.
1. Duke's comeback wins are not sustainable
The victory over Louisville was Duke's fourth comeback win of the season after the Blue Devils trailed at halftime (their win over the Florida State Seminoles came after the two teams were tied at the half).
With bigger and better opponents on the horizon, this style of winning isn't sustainable for a young team that doesn't hold a whole lot of experience on the road, against some of the blue-blood teams in the ACC, and certainly not in college tournament play.
Head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff have to figure out a way to kickstart their players before the halftime whistle blows so that the squad doesn't have to keep outperforming its opponents so drastically in the second half.
2. Dame Sarr's defense is unparalleled
That was a defensive clinic by freshman Dame Sarr. In the second half, Scheyer sicked Sarr on Louisville's senior guard Ryan Conwell, who leads the team in points and steals per game.
After Conwell scored 16 points in the first half, Sarr held him to just eight additional points in the second half, shutting him down on numerous offensive trips for the Cardinals.
While Sarr still hasn't cemented himself as a starter for the Blue Devils, yet another masterful performance has him trending in that direction.
3. Caleb Foster has finally found his footing
Junior guard Caleb Foster had the performance of a lifetime against the Cardinals on Tuesday night. He scored a career-high 20 points and was undeniably the difference in Duke's second-half dominance that pushed the team to victory.
His experience in high-pressure situations and leader-focused mindset are finally paying off, and he clearly has found how to make the most out of his role for the Blue Devils.
As Duke prepares to take on yet another top-25 ACC opponent, the SMU Mustangs, players like Foster, Sarr, and others have to continue doing what they're best at to keep the Blue Devils' renewed winning streak alive.