Duke basketball fans have been given a lot to be happy about through the first month and a half of the season. The Blue Devils are ranked #4 in the AP poll, are 10-2 on the season, have probably the most complete team Jon Scheyer has had yet, and fans get to root for a true national championship contender.
But no team is perfect. Here are some things probably on a lot of Duke fans' Christmas lists this year.
1. Duke gets to the foul line more and makes them
One of the more glaring weaknesses despite how elite this Blue Devils team has been is free throw shooting. It hasn't particularly hurt them in any game this season, but they've struggled from the line in certain games which could be costly down the road. Duke is 8th in the ACC in free throw percentage (73.4%) and 15th in total free throw attempts (214). It's nothing to worry about for fans right now as it hasn't proven to hurt the Blue Devils in-game too much. But, it's been inconsistent at times and Duke probably isn't getting to the line as much as it would like. Later on in the season and into March, not hitting free throws can be costly.
2. Isaiah Evans keeps playing
5-star freshman Isaiah Evans struggled to see consistent minutes early for Duke and it was a bit confusing why. He's a lethal sharpshooter but did not see any time against Kentucky or Kanas early on in the season. Evans broke onto the scene when Duke hosted #2 Auburn, as Evans came in and knocked down 6 threes on 8 attempts for 18 points all in the first half. Since then, he's continued to be a huge contributor on offense. Evans is currently 22-of-43 from three point range on the year. He technically hasn't taken enough shots to qualify for the ACC lead, but his 51.2% clip will likely be the conference lead once he's taken enough shots. The freshman is also 8th in the ACC in three point shots made per game (2.4). Evans has only taken 5 shots on the season not from beyond the arc and has looked like one of the best shooters in the country, so fans should wish for Scheyer to keep him on the floor as much as possible.
3. Kon Knueppel stays consistent
Another 5-star freshman sharpshooter, Knueppel tore through preseason camp and was immediately integrated into the starting lineup. He's been elite defensively, can pass, finish at the rim, and just makes winning plays. But his best trait, three point shooting, has been inconsistent. Knueppel has shown flashes at times, but he's struggled in Duke's big time games. Against Kentucky, Kansas, and Auburn, Knueppel shot a combined 1-of-17 from three. The freshman continued to struggle with inconsistency until the Blue Devils' most recent game against Georgia Tech. In the three games prior to the contest against the Yellow Jackets, Knueppel shot a combined 4-of-17 (23.5%) from the perimeter. Then in the win against the Yellow Jackets, fans saw prime Knueppel as he went 4-of-8 from three to go along with a game-high 18 points. Hopefully this sparks some confidence in the freshman and he can keep it going.
4. The weak ACC is Duke's ticket to a #1 seed
Duke did what it needed to through the non-conference schedule. Although it took losses to Kentucky and Kansas, it beat Auburn at home, potentially the best team in the country, and got back into the top 5 of the AP Poll and is currently #3 in the NET rankings. Already cemented as a national championship contender, the Blue Devils will not have many games to boost the resume further in such a weak ACC. But that also creates opportunities for Quad 2 to 4 losses if the Blue Devils get picked off by a weak team through conference play. In all reality, this will probably happen. But, if Duke can run through the ACC in the regular season and in the ACC tournament like it should, the program should have a really good shot at earning a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, or at worst a #2 seed.
5. A sweep of North Carolina
This one doesn't need much explaining. Although UNC is 7-5 and doesn't look better than maybe a #5 or #6 seed in the tournament, these two rivalry games never disappoint. The Blue Devils got swept a season ago by the Tar Heels and look to return the favor in 2025.
Although Duke fans have so much to be grateful for with how successful this year's squad has been, these are a few Christmas wishes for fans this holiday season.