Duke basketball fans will get to see the 2025-26 Blue Devils in game action for the first time on October 21st, as Duke will host UCF in one of this season's "Brotherhood Run" matchups, a charity exhibition Duke hosts. The Golden Knights are coached by Johnny Dawkins, a former Blue Devil legend. After head coach Jon Scheyer lost his entire starting five from last season, there are plenty of question marks with this year's team just because of how entirely new it is. The Blue Devils might have the most raw talent of any team in the nation, but given how young and inexperienced it is, it's very difficult to truly evaluate a team like the Blue Devils in the preseason.
The 3 biggest things Duke fans should pay attention to during Duke basketball's exhibition match against UCF
1. Is Duke's three-point shooting depth as legit as is looked during Countdown to Craziness?
As a team in Countdown to Craziness, Duke shot 12-of-23 (52.2%) from beyond the arc. Obviously, in an intra-squad scrimmage, fans should take numbers like that with a grain of salt. However, the Blue Devils came into this year expected to be one of the best three-point shooting squads in the nation, given the number of shooters Scheyer recruited. Isaiah Evans will lead the charge as one of the most confident shooters the ACC has to offer, and following him are guys like Dame Sarr, Nik Khamenia, Darren Harris, as well as several other wings and guards who can hit threes at a high clip. Against Power 5 competition for the first time, it will be intriguing to see how dominant Duke can be from the outside.
2. Can Dame Sarr acclimate to the speed of the college game quickly?
Freshman 5-star talent Dame Sarr came over from FC Barcelona and never played high school basketball. Despite his professional experience, Sarr certainly looked sped up during Countdown to Craziness. The Italian wing didn't seem comfortable with the speed of the game, and it looked like it would take more time than originally anticipated for Sarr to get the pacing right. Additionally, Sarr is listed at 6'8" and 190 pounds. He was aggressive attacking the basket and sought out contact, but definitely got bounced around by the bigger guys Duke has. Sarr has a chance to be one of the best perimeter defenders in college basketball, and shot over 44% from three overseas. As the expected starting small forward, today will be a big test to see if he's gotten more aware of the speed of the high-level college game.
3. Does Duke have a true starting point guard?
After Caleb Foster announced his return to Durham, it felt like a no-brainer that he'd be Duke's full-time starter at the point guard position despite a lackluster sophomore year. However, 4-star freshman Cayden Boozer made headlines as one of the Blue Devils' biggest risers over the summer. As Foster enters a make-or-break season with Duke, it will be interesting to follow how often Scheyer uses each of his point guards on the floor, along with how frequently they will play together. In an exhibition, Scheyer and his staff will experiment with tons of different things, but following which of Foster and Boozer seems to have the keys to the offense more often could be telling.