The Duke basketball program kicked off its 2025-26 season with a 75-60 victory over Texas in the first annual Dick Vitale Invitational. It was a sloppy contest for the Blue Devils in several facets of the game, but Duke head coach Jon Scheyer's biggest takeaway was the elite defense from his Blue Devils across 40 minutes. Duke made the Longhorns' ball handlers' lives extremely difficult, playing up off switches and hedging everything. Especially in the second half, Texas had virtually no opportunities to get out in transition, and really had no easy shots at all for the most part. Sean Miller likes to get out and run, and Duke prevented the Longhorns from dictating the pace of the game, which was a major reason the Blue Devils were able to pick up a comfortable victory.
Jon Scheyer says "that's a great lesson for us" as Duke basketball leads with defense to take down Texas
Duke found itself in offensive droughts in the first half, but never let Texas take advantage of it because of its elite defense. Scheyer spoke on what his players can take away from the stellar defensive consistency.
"I think that's a great lesson for us," Scheyer said. "No matter what's happening on the offensive end, our defense can keep us in games."
Duke shot just 37.9% from the field as a team in the first half while being outrebounded 25-15 by the Longhorns. For many squads, that means a double-digit deficit heading into the break, but the Blue Devils' defensive tenacity limited transition opportunities for Texas and kept them in striking distance.
For the game, Duke limited Texas to 32.2% shooting from the field and 29.4% shooting from three, while forcing 16 turnovers. It was a defensive masterclass from the Blue Devils all game long, and it allowed them to enjoy a 15-point victory over an NCAA Tournament-caliber program while playing a mediocre contest when all aspects of the game are considered.
Scheyer is becoming one of the best defensive minds in college basketball, as he teaches his players how to play elite defense so quickly. He builds his teams around length and versatility on both sides of the ball, and it looks like he'll be coaching one of the best defensive squads in the entire nation, just like last season.