Duke made the trip north to Blacksburg, but a few Blue Devils didn't make the trip unscathed as starting guards Caleb Foster and Dame Sarr were questionable with an unspecified illness.
As the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils took on the Virginia Tech Hokies, Cayden Boozer and Nik Khamenia were subbed into the starting lineup, and while Foster came in for 26 crucial minutes, Sarr only clocked in for a minimal eight minutes of playing time.
Despite Duke playing through its own version of Michael Jordan's "Flu Game," the Blue Devils were able to pull off a dominant win over the Hokies, just like Jordan did when he pushed the Chicago Bulls to a Game 5 win over the Jazz.
Jon Scheyer's depth pays off vs. Virginia Tech
Unsurprisingly, freshman Cameron Boozer still led the team with 24 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, as the Blue Devils secured their 72-58 win over the home team.
However, his brother contributed six points, two assists, one rebound, and one steal of his own, willing Duke to the win. Khamenia earned just two points but came down with five rebounds and dished out an assist while contributing an assist of his own.
Duke starters against Virginia Tech:
— Duke Basketball In Depth (@DukeInDepth) January 31, 2026
Cayden Boozer and Nik Khamenia are in the starting lineup.
Caleb Foster and Dame Sarr had been called probable on Friday (illness?), Foster is off the availability report today so should be available, but Sarr is a gametime-decision. pic.twitter.com/StkE2ORSff
During Foster's 26 minutes off the bench, he earned seven points and seven rebounds, as well as earning four assists, despite being unbelievably sick just a day before tip-off, according to Duke head coach Jon Scheyer.
"We came not just ready to play, but ready to compete," Scheyer said after the win. "Caleb Foster was sick as could be yesterday, and he just willed us; he was just a warrior. This is how you win in ACC play, with defense, really proud of my team."
Even without Sarr's usual dominant presence on defense, the Blue Devils held Virginia Tech to only 58 points, allowing the Hokies to shoot just 27 percent from beyond the arc and 42 percent from the field.
With the victory, Duke improved to 20-1 overall and 9-0 against conference opponents. Setting up the No. 4 team in the nation to finish the season with yet another winning record in ACC play.
Up next, Duke will visit its rival, the North Carolina Tar Heels, as ESPN's College GameDay comes to town. The Blue Devils and the Heels are scheduled to tip off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 7, and the game will be aired on ESPN.