No. 4 Duke has been involved in several notable matchups over the first month of the season.
It turns out the Blue Devils were just starting to warm up in terms of top-level opposition.
No. 10 Florida, the defending national champion, will visit Duke Tuesday night in Durham, North Carolina, in a high-profile ACC/SEC Challenge game.
“We learn something every game,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “And no matter what we learn every game, it’s going to be a little different. It’s been different. How we close out, what formations we run, how we get into a rhythm.”
Florida (5-2) split two games last week in San Diego, losing to Texas Christian before winning against Providence. The Gators’ other loss came in the season opener against Arizona in Las Vegas.
Duke (8-0) beat Texas, Kansas and Arkansas on neutral sites. After this home game, the Blue Devils finish the week at Michigan State.
The Arkansas game took place on Thanksgiving evening and featured some unique challenges. Duke trailed by seven points in the second half.
“I thought it was a key moment for our team, just learning how to win games like that,” Scheyer said. “It was the first time we found ourselves in this situation.”
While Cameron Boozer has headlined Duke, the Blue Devils are getting key contributions from others. Guard Caleb Foster had breakthrough moments against Arkansas and had 15 points and eight assists.
“It’s part of what college basketball is all about,” Scheyer said. “We went on a journey together. He stood his ground. He always wanted me to be honest with him, and he really managed to pull through.”
Also in Boozer’s shadow is Nikolas Khamenia, a Duke freshman. He has been on the field in notable situations.
“I’m really proud of him because he’s doing the right thing,” Scheyer said. “His scoring is going to come, too. But I think he showed how much of an impact he can really have in winning (the Arkansas game).”
Duke and Florida shared time at the same venues last spring but did not meet. They were both assigned to Raleigh, North Carolina, although not in the same bracket, for the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament before advancing to the Final Four in San Antonio.
Both teams also have transfers from Princeton on their rosters. Xaivian Lee is expected to be a key contributor for Florida, while Jack Scott has been a bench player for Duke.
Lee scored 20 points in the Providence game, which amounted to an outstanding performance with his new team. He’s shooting just 21.6 percent (11 of 51) on 3-point attempts this season.
“I just tried to focus on my process and not focus too much on the results,” Lee said. “…I just tried to focus on the next game and the next moment to try to escape.”
Florida coach Todd Golden said Lee’s ability to score can make a difference for the Gators.
“It obviously raises our ceiling a little bit,” the coach said.
Florida’s leader is Thomas Haugh with 17.9 points per game.
Duke is 2-0 against Southeastern Conference opponents this season and Florida holds a 2-0 record against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents.
–Field level media
