Duke men's basketball recorded its 2024-25 debut in Cameron Indoor Stadium with an exhibition against Lincoln. With 20 minutes gone, the Blue Devils lead 56-34:
Starting lineup
After much speculation, head coach Jon Scheyer finally unveiled his first starting lineup of the year, and it was full of surprises. Graduate transfer Sion James paired up with returning guard Caleb Foster in the backcourt, with the notable omission of junior Tyrese Proctor. Freshman sensation Cooper Flagg started as one of the forwards, alongside fellow rookie Kon Knueppel, who’s impressive offseason earned him the plaudits of teammates, coaches and fans alike. Junior transfer Maliq Brown finished out the starting five instead of promising freshman center Khaman Maluach. The starting unit got the Blue Devils off to a 9-7 lead before Proctor replaced James a few minutes in. Whether the surprising lineup reflects Scheyer’s intentions when the season actually commences, or the third-year coach’s experimentation, time will only tell.
Flagg’s debut
Duke fans finally caught a glimpse of the No. 1 overall recruit in action against an opposing team, and Flagg did not disappoint. The freshman kickstarted Duke’s dominance with a fadeaway jumper to open the scoring. On the defensive end, he proceeded to block a 3-point shot in the second minute of the game and then a Lion layup opportunity two minutes later. After converting on a layup to score his second basket, Flagg suffered a hard fall and checked his wrist with Duke’s medical personnel before being subbed out. The Newport, Maine native reentered with Duke leading by only three, and immediately racked up two assists, a 3-point make and an and-one within a minute of his reentry, and not soon after, the Blue Devils already had a double-digit lead. Besides his 13 first half points, Flagg also amassed six assists and three blocks, demonstrating how his impact stretches so far beyond his scoring.
Depth and rotation
After the first few minutes and with a narrow 9-7 lead, Scheyer began to make the most out of the Blue Devils’ depth. Proctor’s insertion onto the court immediately allowed Duke to play with a faster pace, though that could be said of the Blue Devils’ 13-assist first-half performance as a whole. Maluach and graduate transfer Mason Gillis soon followed, each adding their unique traits to the fray. By the 13-minute mark, freshman Darren Harris also made his debut; Scheyer opted to give all four freshmen significant minutes early on, with the notable exception of Isaiah Evans. Scheyer’s willingness to employ a true nine-man rotation is a welcome sight after last season’s struggles with bench scoring, and Duke’s depth will be key against more talented opponents.
Foul trouble
Duke struggled with fouls at the very start of the half, fouling the Lions on three straight possessions to allow Lincoln to tie at five. By the first media timeout, the Blue Devils had committed six fouls, many of them non-shooting as they eagerly tried to assert their athletic superiority on the Lions. When the teams headed to the locker room with Duke leading by 22, the Blue Devils had already committed 10 fouls. It’s hard to assess Duke’s defensive performance as a whole given all the infractions. While Flagg, Maluach and the rest of the team displayed their elite defensive instincts, the squad will definitely aim to fix the fouling tendencies before the team’s next exhibition against Arizona State.
Player of the half: Kon Knueppel
Knueppel’s preseason hype does not seem to be an overstatement. The Milwaukee native knocked down his first two 3-point attempts with ease, with the freshman’s quick release a deadly weapon for Scheyer’s squad. After a rare 3-point miss, Knueppel continued to settle in, knocking down three consecutive attempts from beyond the arc with ease. The freshman’s 3-point shooting isn’t confined to wide-open opportunities either; Knueppel is willing and able to shoot over the top of defenders, a trait which makes him much more than just a conventional spot-up shooter. Knueppel’s 15 first-half points led both teams in scoring, suggesting that his name may feature at the top of the stat sheet in many a game this season.
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Rodrigo Amare is a Trinity sophomore and assistant Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.