No. 4 Duke suddenly is blowing out teams and dominating inside while staying unbeaten in ACC play

DURHAM, N.C. — Duke coach Jon Scheyer entered January seemingly grappling a bit with exactly how to bring out the best from his remade roster.

He’s found answers as the fourth-ranked Blue Devils close the month in dominating fashion.

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The Blue Devils are mauling teams with their frontline led by star freshman Cameron Boozer, both when it comes to scoring in the paint and attacking the glass. There’s been defensive improvement, too, with finding the right lineup combinations as well as tweaking the approach. And the Blue Devils are winning games in lopsided fashion, most recently by thumping No. 20 Louisville to remain unbeaten in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“I’ve said to you guys before in January: I feel you get a chance to really learn about the identity of your team and who we can be,” Scheyer said after the 83-52 win against the Cardinals. “That doesn’t mean winning or losing. I think it just means understanding the process and understanding the areas you have to grow and get better.”

There had been closer-than-expected wins against Georgia Tech, Florida State and an SMU team playing without top scorer Boopie Miller as league play began. But the past four games have stood out for the Blue Devils (19-1, 8-0 ACC), starting with a two-game cross-country trip for league play. It explains why the Blue Devils — with their past three wins by 30, 21 and 31 points — now have nine Quadrant 1 wins that headline a postseason résumé to tie top-ranked Arizona for most in the country as they head into a trip to Virginia Tech.

It also shows the 38-year-old Scheyer’s willingness to adjust as the personality of his roster develops in his fourth season as successor to retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski.

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“I mean, we’re definitely starting to get it going,” Boozer said. “We can still be a lot better.”

What’s working

Duke has leaned into its frontcourt edge with Boozer, the 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward who ranks among the national…

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Publish date : 2026-01-27 17:08:00

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