ACC , Duke MBB

Let’s Talk About Duke’s Deep Growing Roster as They Shines in Scrimmage Win Over Belmont

In a Thursday night scrimmage at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke used the low-stakes setting to experiment with lineups, rotations, and plays against Belmont, and the Blue Devils controlled the game from an early lead. Head coach Jon Scheyer saw balanced scoring and a blend of veterans and freshmen, giving a preview of his new-look team. He noted the value of the jitters that come with game settings:

“You get a nervous feeling before a game, and I know [the players] were feeling it too, no matter what. So I think it was good for us just to feel that.”

Debuts in Cameron

Five of Scheyer’s six freshmen, along with redshirt sophomore Sebastian Wilkins, made their Cameron Indoor debuts. Freshmen Cameron Williams, Maxime Meyer, and Bryson Howard scored two, four, and five points, while Wilkins added eight points and four offensive rebounds. Williams got his first points on a fast-break dunk created by a Cayden Boozer steal, drawing a loud response from the student section. Deron Rippey Jr. added 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting.

Scheyer said he was proud of the newcomers:

“It’s what playing at Duke is all about, to be out there, and I was proud.”

Boumtje Boumtje Steals the Show

The biggest breakout was 17-year-old center Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, who scored 19 points, hit two threes, blocked two shots, grabbed seven rebounds, and threw down a highlight dunk. Belmont coach Evan Bradds joked about the performance:

“I certainly was not playing like that at 17.”

Scheyer praised the freshman’s poise, saying being unafraid at that age “says a lot about who he is and what he’s made of.”

Veterans Set the Tone

Sophomore Dame Sarr tied Boumtje Boumtje for the team lead in scoring and showed strong defense and shooting. Boozer finished with 12 points, while junior Patrick Ngongba II had five points and three blocks. Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell scored 17, but Scheyer valued his leadership more:

“He’s been a great connector for us… He’s a guy people go to off the court, and he’s been through a lot of these battles.”

Rotations and Bench Impact

Scheyer used a 10-player rotation and twice substituted four players at once in the second half. After a stretch of five straight missed shots by both teams, he swapped in Boozer, Howard, Williams, and Boumtje Boumtje. The result:

  • Boozer hit a three assisted by Williams, then added a fast-break dunk that forced a Belmont timeout.
  • When the original group returned, Ngongba blocked a three-point attempt and Sarr followed with a rebound and a three.

The bench produced 24 points in the second half versus six in the first, and Duke’s shooting improved from 48.5% to 58.1%.

Open Starting Lineup

Thursday’s starters were Blackwell, Boozer, Sarr, Boumtje Boumtje, and Ngongba, but Scheyer stressed nothing is settled:

“My mind is still open, [I’d] like to see where these guys are going to take me and take us.”

Coming Depth

The roster will get even stronger when seniors Caleb Foster and Drew Scharnowski return from injury. That will force Scheyer to make tougher decisions about starters and bench roles.

Conclusion

Thursday’s scrimmage showed that Duke can score through many players, rotate freely, and turn over lineups without losing momentum. If this depth carries into the season, Scheyer’s challenge will be an abundance of options rather than a lack of them.