Building off last weekend's short scrimmage at the Countdown to Craziness event, Duke took the court on Thursday night to open its three-game exhibition slate at home against Belmont, coached by former Blue Devils assistant Evan Bradds.
Playing without two key pieces in Caleb Foster and Drew Scharnowski, Duke looked the part of a legitimate contender with a 102-62 blowout of the Bruins.
Jon Scheyer said the offense was a work in progress, but it looked pretty good, at least for one night.
Let's dive into some quick observations from what we saw during the exhibition.
1. Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje lived up the hype and then some
Scheyer isn't going to be able to keep a lid on the Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje hype any longer, no matter how hard he or other players on the team may try. After a bit of a feeling-out process in last weekend's scrimmage, the 17-year-old freshman sensation looked like the best player on the floor for large stretches against Belmont.
He tied for a team-high 19 points on 7-of-11 from the floor with six rebounds and two blocked shots. The three-point jumper looked smooth and effortless. He showed an inside-out game, using his size to his advantage in the paint on several occasions.
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje has 10 points in his first 7 minutes of college basketball
— Zion O. (@DukeNBA) October 8, 2026
7’1 sniper pic.twitter.com/SuQBhSxjd5
It won't always look this easy for Boumtje Boumtje. But the potential is limitless.
2. Dame Sarr looks to have taken a big step in his all around game
The focus for Dame Sarr this offseason was assumed to be his three-point jumper. He projects as a three-and-D wing, and improving his shot felt pivotal. It's just one game, but it's clear that he wasn't satisfied with just getting better as a shooter.
Sarr's all-around game was impressive. He looked more comfortable off the dribble. He was creative with his drives and his passes, and he got to the rim and consistently converted on his way to a 19-point night.
He looks noticeably stronger and should be poised for a big season.
3. John Blackwell is a walking bucket
The Wisconsin transfer is the kind of scorer where it just comes effortless. You think to yourself that he hasn't done much, and you look up, and he's already in double figures. That's exactly what it looked like against Belmont.
Blackwell scored 17 points without ever really breaking a sweat. He did have a highlight before the half where, right after a bucket from Boumtje Boumtje on what appeared to be the final Duke possession, Blackwell stepped in front of the Belmont inbounds and then hit a three-pointer at the buzzer.
This team is insanely talented, but Blackwell is still a safe bet to lead the team in scoring.
4. Duke's defense still looks elite despite all the new pieces
There are a lot of new faces in the rotation for Duke this season, but the defensive end of the floor is a non-negotiable for Scheyer, and it shows. The Blue Devils looked elite on that end of the floor, consistently frustrating Belmont and making things difficult.
With the twin towers of Patrick Ngongba and Boumtje Boumtje in the frontcourt, it's going to be a real challenge to score at the rim against this team. That will be even more amplified when Scharnowski gets back on the court.
Sarr is a menace on the wing, and the effort level all over is really high. Scheyer will undoubtedly be pleased with what he saw on that end of the court.
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