Cameron Boozer Shines as Duke Finishes Exhibitions 2-0, Now Eyes Texas in Charlotte

Duke Basketball closed out its exhibition slate a perfect 2-0, showing flashes of dominance and plenty of promise as the Blue Devils gear up for the regular season opener against Texas in Charlotte.

The first tune-up came inside the friendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium, where Duke rolled past a Johnny Dawkins-led UCF squad, 96–71, on October 21. Freshman sensation Cameron Boozer made an instant statement with a monster 33-point, 12-rebound performance. Head coach Jon Scheyer praised his team’s effort but emphasized there’s still work to do, saying:

“There is a lot we have to get better at, but I did like the competitiveness. I did like the fire that we showed. We may not be deep in terms of numbers, but I think our depth is in our versatility with the different lineups we can play.”

As a fan first and media member second, it was special to see Johnny Dawkins return to Cameron, where the crowd greeted him with loud applause during a heartfelt moment at center court with Coach K and Jon Scheyer. The Brotherhood Run— which started with Bobby Hurley’s return last season—continues to be a fantastic tradition, welcoming back former Duke players now leading programs across the country. This season’s “Brotherhood” matchups continue in November when Duke hosts Niagara (coached by Greg Paulus) on Nov. 21 and Howard (coached by Kenny Blakeney) on Nov. 23.

The second exhibition was anything but easy. On October 26, Duke went on the road to face a tough, physical Tennessee team inside a sold-out Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. Watching it later myself (after a beach trip), one thing stood out loud and clear: Cameron Boozer is that dude. He stuffed the stat sheet with 24 points, 23 rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and a steal, leading Duke to an 83–76 win in a gritty battle. Isaiah Evans added 22 points, and Patrick Ngongba nearly posted a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds — plus one of the most memorable plays of the night, diving headfirst into the crowd for a loose ball. It was the kind of hustle moment that gets Duke fans fired up and perfectly summed up the team’s fight in a tough road environment.

Scheyer was pleased with how his team responded in the hostile setting, saying:

“That was everything we could ask for, and more. Amazing crowd, by the way, for an exhibition game. The way their fans showed out was incredible, and that’s exactly what we wanted for our team. To put ourselves in a position, in a tough game, where we have to grow very quickly. And I think we did that.”

Now, it’s on to Charlotte. Duke opens the regular season Tuesday, November 4, against Texas in the Dick Vitale Invitational. Tip-off is set for 8:45 PM — because of course, Duke’s on late again! Expect the crowd to be heavily Blue Devil–leaning, as Charlotte has always been a second home for Duke fans. After all, this is the same city where Duke cut down the nets as 2025 ACC Tournament champions just last March.

This matchup with Texas kicks off a challenging non-conference slate Scheyer has assembled to prepare his team for March. The ACC should be stronger this year, but this test in Charlotte marks the start of the regular season — and a gauntlet of non-conference battles awaits ahead.

A few shots I grabbed from inside Cameron during Duke’s exhibition against UCF — all taken on my iPhone.