5 impressive observations as Duke surges past Kansas to close out exhibition slate

Heading into the third and final exhibition game of the preseason, Jon Scheyer and Duke had yet to be tested. They earned blowout wins over both Belmont and Tennessee. That changed on Sunday afternoon in Lawrence, as many expected.

Kansas gave Duke a fight, even taking a two-point lead into halftime. But the Blue Devils responded like champions, outplaying the Jayhawks down the stretch to earn a 90-84 win at Allen Fieldhouse to close out exhibition play at a perfect 3-0.

Duke will now rest up and get ready for the regular season opener against Army next Monday.

Here are the biggest observations from the six-point win:

1. Patrick Ngongba was a mismatch that Duke repeatedly exploited

Jon Scheyer knew that Big Pat would be a mismatch for the Kansas frontline, and that was exploited time and time again.

Ngongba finished with a monster double-double of 28 points and 10 rebounds. The 28 points was a game high. He did most of his damage in the paint, going 9-of-12 overall, but he also knocked down 1-of-2 from three. He's 4-of-5 from downtown in the preseason.

He looks healthy, athletic, and motivated.

2. John Blackwell is exactly who Duke hoped he would be

There was a large stretch late in the first half where Duke's offense looked disjointed and discombobulated. So to start the second half, Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell kicked it up a notch and was aggressive in attacking the basket.

It's such a luxury to have a veteran guard who can go get a bucket when you need one, and nothing else is working. That's exactly what Blackwell gave Duke against Kansas, and it's exactly what he was brought in to do.

He was ruthlessly efficient, again, scoring 23 points on just 12 shot attempts. He knocked down 4-of-7 attempts from three

3. Deron Rippey's usage was odd

It'll be interesting to see in the postgame press conference if Scheyer says anything about the freshman guard tweaking anything during the game. Otherwise, his usage doesn't make much sense.

Caleb Foster returned, and that was always going to take some minutes from Rippey, but with how well he's played, and with a perfect opportunity to get him live reps in a difficult road environment, it's a bit perplexing how he only ended up with 13 minutes on the afternoon.

Scheyer seemed to lean on his vets more, especially down the stretch. But Rippey is too talented to be on the bench that much.

4. Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje looked like a 17-year-old freshman

It was a struggle for Boumtje Boumtje in Lawrence. He struggled with the physicality of the game and only shot 2-of-10 from the floor, finishing with just 6 points. He did add 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. He found a way to contribute anyway.

This was a perfect learning experience for the supremely talented freshman. Kansas was a major step up in competition, and he looked a bit overwhelmed by the environment. He still had some good stretches, including a three-play sequence in the second half that featured an assist to Sebastian Wilkins, a made three-pointer, and then another assist to Wilkins.

Every night won't be perfect from JBB. Be prepared for some freshman struggles as he continues to figure everything out.

5. Sebastian Wilkins is an elite cutter

The redshirt freshman is going to play a significant role in the Duke rotation this year. He'll be an important bench piece with his athleticism and defensive length. His offensive game is still growing, but one thing he displayed against Kansas that will serve him well is his ability as a cutter.

He made all three of his shot attempts, with all three coming at the rim. He made several smart cuts to the basket for dunks:

Wilkins may not stuff the stat sheet every night, but he's a winning player and does things that don't always show up in the box score.

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