The Duke basketball program improved to 5-0 on the young 2025-26 season with a 78-66 victory over No. 24 Kansas at Madison Square Garden in the State Farm Champions Classic. It wasn't the prettiest game from the Blue Devils on either side of the ball, but freshman superstar Cameron Boozer still found a way to dominate in so many different facets of the game. The win over Kansas marks the ninth straight win for Duke at Madison Square Garden, as well as the team's first victory over a ranked opponent this season. There's still a ton for the Blue Devils to improve on, but with lots of sloppy play, a 12-point victory over a ranked team is a promising sign.
Bill Self and the Jayhawks were without superstar freshman Darryn Peterson as he remains out with a lingering hamstring issue. Even in the absence of Kansas' best player, the Jayhawks still gave Duke problems early on. The Blue Devils coughed up a few turnovers in the opening frame, and Kansas converted in transition to keep itself in it. Duke was much cleaner defensively in the second half, although this was probably the sloppiest defensive outing from the Blue Devils so far this season.
Cameron Boozer says, "It's a dream" to be playing for Duke basketball in Madison Square Garden
Duke's freshman sensation led the Blue Devils with a team-high 18 points to go along with 10 rebounds and five assists in 34 minutes of action. Boozer's passing was his most important skill tonight, as he exposed doubles by the Jayhawks to find open teammates either cutting or ready for an outside shot.
After the contest, Boozer spoke with ESPN's Kris Budden about his experience at Madison Square Garden.
"It's special for sure," Boozer said. "I mean, Duke's the biggest brand in college basketball...It's special, it's amazing. I mean, it's a dream."
Despite a sloppy performance, Duke still held Kansas to just 4-of-21 (19%) shooting from the three-point line while only committing 15 fouls. The Blue Devils did a much better job in the second half of limiting transition opportunities for the Jayhawks, which was the main reason they were able to stay in the contest throughout the opening 20 minutes.
As each game goes by, it looks like Jon Scheyer has his guys gelling on offense more and more. Duke assisted on 17 of its 27 made field goals, and seven different guys tallied at least five points. The Blue Devils were also cold from the perimeter, going 7-of-26 (27%) as a team, but getting to the free throw line and controlling the paint in the second half kept them ahead.
Next up, Duke returns home to take on Niagara and Howard.