3 Instant Observations From Duke Basketball’s Exhibition Win Over Tennessee

The Duke Blue Devils cruised to an exhibition win over No. 8 Tennessee, 103-64, on Tuesday night.

It’s still preseason play, and it’s important not to overreact to exhibitions. Still, this Duke team continues to look like it can be special. Both the Blue Devils and Volunteers had key players out with injuries, but Duke was clearly the better team from the opening tip. Here are a few instant observations from Duke’s win over the Volunteers.

Oct 7, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils Patrick Ngongba II (21) answers questions from the media during the ACC Tip-Off in Charlotte, NC. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This Duke Team Is Special Defensively

We spent a lot of time this offseason discussing Duke’s ceiling on the defensive end of the floor. After two exhibition games, forget the potential to be the best defensive team in college basketball this season; this Duke team could be one of the most dominant defensive teams we’ve seen in college basketball in the last few years.

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The Blue Devils have switchable length everywhere, and, as it was for Belmont, it was a complete nightmare for the Volunteers to get anything going offensively in the half-court. Keep in mind this is a Tennessee club that could end up being one of the more prolific offensive teams in college basketball this season.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer (L) talks with referee Roger Ayers (R) against the UConn Huskies during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Duke didn’t force turnovers at a high rate last season, but it capitalized on Tennessee’s mistakes tonight. It’s going to be a major challenge for any team to generate consistent half-court offense against the Blue Devils this season.

Duke Might Have the Best Backcourt in College Basketball

Caleb Foster didn’t play tonight, but…

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Publish date : 2026-10-21 01:13:00

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