Sports | Men's Basketball

Scenes from No. 9 Duke's 84-78 defeat of No. 2 Auburn
SPORTS | BASKETBALL

‘A special performance’: In Duke men’s basketball win against Auburn, each Blue Devil played to their strengths

It obviously doesn’t hurt to have freshman Isaiah Evans be unconscious from deep in the first half, but the real reason behind this win is that every Blue Devil played within their roles. And what happens when everybody plays to their strengths is the team doesn’t force things, the offense flows smoothly and the defense is a juggernaut. 


Isaiah Evans hit six first-half triples for the Blue Devils.
SPORTS | BASKETBALL

SLIM REAPER: Evans' 6 triples lead No. 9 Duke men's basketball to 84-78 home win against No. 2 Auburn

The second was true for freshman Isaiah Evans Wednesday night, as his six first-half triples paved the way for No. 8 Duke’s 84-78 win at home against the second-ranked Auburn Tigers. Graduate guard Sion James — who made his debut in the starting lineup — chipped in nine crucial points, and freshman Cooper Flagg recorded a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds.


Kon Knueppel shoots over the top of Zeke Mayo.
SPORTS | BASKETBALL

'Thrown these guys in the fire': No. 11 Duke gained valuable experience in tight contest against No. 1 Kansas

Against Kansas, at times, it was obvious that Duke needed a grow-up game. It needed to face the top-ranked, most experienced team in the nation, in a packed-out neutral site where at times it was difficult to tell if there were more fans rooting for Kansas or for Duke. And while they usually say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, for the Blue Devils to have success down the rest of their season, they will need to keep what happened in Vegas at the forefront of their minds.