Duke Blue Devils news and notes:
Duke basketball exposed by Michigan State in Chicago
After a pair of tune-up games against Army and Coastal Carolina, Duke faced its first test of the 2026-27 season on Tuesday night in Chicago against Michigan State. The Blue Devils failed that test miserably.
Credit the Spartans for playing well and making life difficult for Duke, but the Blue Devils simply weren't good enough on either side of the floor. It was a wire-to-wire win for Michigan State at the United Center, and it exposed some serious early flaws that the Blue Devils will need to work out.
Jon Scheyer spoke about the game in plain terms, stating, "That wasn't Duke basketball." He vowed to get things fixed, and there should be plenty of confidence that he will.
This is a talented group, but it has a long way to go before it's a serious contender. The good news is that it's only November. You don't want to be playing your best basketball at this point anyway. There's plenty of times to figure things out.
You play these early-season big games for no other reason than to get exposed so you can see everything you need to work on. Michigan State exposed Duke, and Scheyer now knows exactly what Duke has to do to get better going forward.
Florida State's AD hire produces more smoke surrounding Manny Diaz
On Monday, Florida State announced the hiring of veteran administrator Jeff Purinton as its next Athletic Director. Priority one for Purinton will be hiring a new football coach after Mike Norvell was let go a couple of weeks ago.
One of the leading candidates figures to be Duke head coach Manny Diaz, an FSU graduate and former Seminoles assistant. Diaz got his coaching start in Tallahassee as a graduate assistant on Bobby Bowden's staff in the late 90s.
Who was also at Florida State at that time? Purinton.
The preexisting relationship between Purinton and Diaz makes it all the more likely that he'll be a legitimate candidate for the job. FSU will do its due diligence, and there will be others who are in the mix, but this move won't make Duke fans comfortable.
Nate Sheppard named the Doak Walker National RB of the week
For the second time this season, Duke star RB Nate Sheppard was named the Doak Walker National RB of the Week. He joins Missouri's Jamal Roberts as the only two running backs to receive the honor twice.
Sheppard was terrific in last week's 45-3 win over NC State, racking up 217 yards on the ground with three touchdowns to help Duke improve to 7-2 on the season.
Sheppard is 2nd in the nation in rushing and 1st in the Power Four, with 1189 yards. He has a chance this weekend to make a real push in the Heisman Trophy race against Miami. If Sheppard can have a big game and the Blue Devils can pull the upset as a two-touchdown underdog, his odds will skyrocket.
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