Duke fans got their first glimpse - aside from Twitter videos, of course - of the 2026-27 Blue Devils on Saturday night at the annual Countdown to Craziness event.
Jon Scheyer's club scrimmaged with two teams - one blue, one white - with the white team coming out on top 29-24.
Everything seen during the scrimmage should be taken with a grain of salt, but we're still going to use the short scrimmage as a basis for some quick takeaways:
1. Deron Rippey Jr. is going to be impossible to keep off the floor
The 5-star freshman guard is a ton of fun already. He's also very clearly got that dog in him. Along with a highlight-reel dunk and some impressive work around the basket, Rippey hit the game-winning three for the white team to reach the "Elam Ending" of 28 points.
It wasn't just that he hit the shot; it was the confidence with which he took the shot to begin with. He stepped into the three with full trust in his ability to knock it down and end the scrimmage.
Deron Rippey Jr. game winner at Countdown to Craziness 👌🏼 🥶 pic.twitter.com/MYr7UKCaNo
— Rick Heidrick (@rheidrick24) October 4, 2026
Rippey scored seven points and dished out three assists to help his side to the win.
It's going to be really difficult for Scheyer to keep him off the court.
2. Patrick Ngongba's newfound floor spacing will be huge for Duke
Ngongba looks healthy. That was an important takeaway, and the most important one. Aside from that, he confidently stepped into and cashed a three-pointer. His ability to stretch the floor from the five-spot will open up the lane for Duke guards Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster, John Blackwell, and Rippey to get to the rim.
Ngongba shot 25% from three last season. I would expect that to tick up toward the low to mid 30s this year.
Ngongba got banged up near the end of the scrimmage, but Scheyer announced to the crowd that he was going to be fine. That was a huge sigh of relief.
3. John Blackwell is everything he was billed to be
The Wisconsin transfer is just so smooth. He's a professional bucket getter. He was the leading scorer in the 12-minute scrimmage, putting up 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the floor. He showed his range, knocking down a three-pointer, but also showed his ability to get to the basket and score at the rim.
Duke's floor spacing will open up the paint more for Blackwell than he was used to at Wisconsin. He won't have to shoulder a massive burden as he did in Madison, but he's more than capable of it when asked.
Blackwell is poised for a big season, and should be Duke's leading scorer.
4. Maxime Meyer can give Duke minutes this season, if needed
With Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski sidelined with a knee injury, freshman Maxime Meyer had an opportunity to display his skills on Saturday night. While it's unlikely that there will be minutes to go around for the former 4-star recruit, Meyer more than held his own and showed he's capable of logging minutes for Scheyer if needed.
In 10 minutes, Meyer scored six points on a perfect 3-of-3 from the floor, grabbed two offensive rebounds, and erased a shot at the rim. He's a developmental prospect, and his best basketball is well ahead in the future, but the Canadian prospect looks capable of playing right away.
5. Expect some early growing pains for Joaqim Boumtje Boumtje and Cameron Williams
Boumtje Boumtje and Williams are competing for the starting four-spot next to Ngongba. Boumtje Boumtje is probably the leader in the clubhouse, but patience will be a virtue for both guys early on in their freshman seasons.
Neither lit the world on fire in their first action in Cameron Indoor. They combined for five points on 2-of-6 shooting in the scrimmage.
They're going to be good players, and that will happen this season, but it's fair to expect some early growing pains for the freshmen forwards.
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