Duke’s demolition of Tennessee in exhibition will only pour gas on Final Four hype

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No. 2 Duke routed No. 8 Tennessee, earning a resounding 103-64 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday in an exhibition matchup ahead of the 2026-27 college basketball season.

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The Blue Devils took control early, opening the contest with a 17-2 run. Duke kept the Volunteers without a field goal for the opening 5 minutes and 56 seconds.

The Blue Devils also found success inside, producing 18 points in the paint during the first half. Freshman guard Deron Rippey Jr. contributed two three-pointers before halftime, helping Duke extend its advantage to 54-30. The hosts maintained their momentum after the break, finishing with six players scoring in double figures.

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Rippey led the Blue Devils with 21 points and three steals, while John Backwell added 18 points. Duke shot 55% from the field and 36% from three-point range, demonstrating its scoring ability from different areas of the floor. The Blue Devils also controlled the boards, outrebounding Tennessee 44-29.

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Tennessee, meanwhile, found it difficult to generate consistent offense against Duke’s defense. Dai Dai Ames, a senior transfer guard from California, led the Volunteers with 19 points. The defeat exposed a disconnect between Tennessee’s preseason expectations and its offseason reinforcements, including former Wake Forest standout Juke Harris and Terrence Hill Jr., who previously scored 34 points for Virginia Commonwealth against North Carolina in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Duke’s latest result follows an 83-76 exhibition victory over the Volunteers last year. The Blue Devils will next travel to Lawrence, Kansas, to face No. 17 Kansas on Sunday.

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With 10 opponents ranked in the AP preseason top 25 on its regular-season schedule, Duke’s emphatic opening exhibition…

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Publish date : 2026-10-21 05:34:00

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