Duke Basketball Dominates Lincoln in First Preseason Game

The game started slowly, but Duke Basketball quickly found its rhythm, overwhelming Lincoln with a decisive 107 - 56 victory.  Cooper Flagg set the tone early, scoring 22 points, leading the team in scoring.  Tyrese Proctor added 19 points, while Kon Knueppel surprised some with 17 points, including a spectacular one-handed dunk that sent Cameron Indoor Stadium into a frenzy.  

​Another highlight of Saturday's matchup was Spencer Hubbard's basket toward the end of the game, which ignited  celebrations on the Duke bench as the atmosphere in Cameron was electric.  While this win was comfortable for Duke, the road ahead promises to be challenging, with a tough schedule lined up for November and December before ACC play even begins. 

This game marked the first of two preseason contests for Duke, with an exhibition against Arizona State scheduled for this Sunday, October 27th, before the regular season kicks off on November 4th against Maine.

Coach Jon Scheyer noted the players' eagerness to compete against someone other than themselves.   "The first thing is our guys get tired of playing against each other.  I think we've had 63 days of summer workouts, preseason, and practice.  So you get tired of it.  The second thing is we have a very specific kind of group.  We're bigger.  We're longer.  I'm not sure we're the quickest team in the country.  So, to see that quickness, I think was really helpful.  And then, just to see different schemes and play against some different bodies, I think that's what's so helpful about it."

Cooper Flagg expressed his excitement for his first game in Cameron:  " It was incredibly special.  It's something I've dreamed about since I was young, playing college basketball, and I dreamed about playing at Duke as well.  So just getting that experience, the first time playing against a real opponent, it was kind of surreal." 

​Looking ahead, Duke's schedule is packed with thrilling matchups, including an exhibition against Bobby Hurley's Arizona State this Sunday, as well as neutral-site games against Kentucky in Atlanta, Kansas in Vegas, and Illinois in New York.  Cooper Flagg commented to me when I asked him about the schedule saying,  "I look forward to the next game all the time.  I just try to take it day by day." 

Though it was just the first exhibition game, the excitement is here as Duke Basketball is back at Cameron Indoor Stadium, setting the stage for a thrilling season ahead filled with blockbuster games.