Former Duke Blue Devils have been dominating the Las Vegas Summer League so far, and while some are beginning their pro careers with their new respective franchises, others are taking steps towards the next phases of their careers. Either way, the Summer League has been littered with Blue Devil dominance.
Beyond that, a newcomer to the men's basketball team, five-star prospect Cameron Boozer, spoke up on the lack of buzz he thinks Duke has been receiving this offseason, and he's ready to prove doubters wrong. Several marquee exhibition matchups have also recently been announced for the men's basketball team.
Here's your latest round-up of Duke Blue Devils news.
Men's basketball schedules two exhibition games
Over the last few days, Jon Scheyer has worked to schedule two exhibition games before the 2025-26 college hoops season begins, with one against a former Blue Devil who played for Coach K. Duke will play UCF on October 21st at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Knights are coached by Johnny Dawkins, a Blue Devil great who played four seasons in Durham from 1982 to 1986. Dawkins averaged 19.2 points per game throughout his Duke career and was a two-time All-American. The Blue Devils have also scheduled another elite exhibition contest against SEC foe Tennessee, a game that will be played sometime in late October. Duke will travel to Knoxville for this one to take on the Vols at Food City Center. It will be a matchup of star freshmen, as Cameron Boozer will face off against fellow five-star recruit Nate Ament. Duke was seen as the favorite for the majority of Ament's recruitment period, but the connection fizzled out late, and the star forward ultimately elected to head to the SEC. The Blue Devils now have two marquee exhibition games on the slate to prepare the group for a gauntlet of a non-conference schedule.
Cameron Boozer speaks on lack of buzz ahead of season
Boozer, viewed by many as the best incoming rookie in college hoops in 2025-26, recently spoke with ESPN on the lack of appreciation the Duke program has been getting this offseason, saying the Blue Devils have been "very overlooked" throughout the summer. "I think we have a special group," Boozer told ESPN. "I think we're very overlooked right now, but once the season starts, that'll change for sure. ... I think just playing together, playing hard, defending, competing, we're going to be in a spot to get [to the Final Four] just like they did last year." Now, although the Blue Devils are coming into the season with aspirations to reach the Final Four for the second straight year, there's no doubt there are serious questions and concerns surrounding this group. Duke is extremely young and inexperienced, and although Scheyer is bringing in the No. 1 overall 2025 recruiting class, it's impossible to definitively say how the rookies' games will translate, except maybe for Boozer. Returners like Caleb Foster, Isaiah Evans, and Darren Harris all can be key contributors for a championship-caliber squad, but it hasn't shown yet. It will be up to Boozer and the rest of the guys to prove Duke belongs in national championship contender talks. Duke is ranked No. 12 in ESPN's most recent preseason top 25 rankings.
Former Blue Devils putting on shows in Las Vegas Summer League
Several former Blue Devils have been dominant to begin their Las Vegas Summer League campaigns, most notably Kyle Filipowski, who is making the Jazz think long and hard about potentially moving him into the starting lineup once the NBA regular season rolls around. Filipowski is leading the Las Vegas Summer League in scoring at 29.3 points per game to go along with 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists on a fantastic 56.1% shooting from the field and 39.1% shooting from three-point range. The 21-year-old's play has been highlighted by two 30-point performances, most recently a 35-point and 11-rebound effort on July 14th against the San Antonio Spurs. There have been several other stellar performances, including some by Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, two of the most recent former Duke players to enter the NBA. However, Tyrese Proctor, the 49th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is making the Cleveland Cavaliers look like geniuses for getting the guard so late after a monster scoring night for the Australian. Proctor put together a stellar outing on July 16th against the Sacramento Kings, going for a game-high 35 points to go along with four assists and two steals on 11-of-24 (45.8%) shooting from the field. It felt wild that Proctor fell all the way to the 49th pick in the draft, and it still seems ridiculous watching the Duke vet in his first professional action.