Four Takeaways From Duke vs UCF Brotherhood Exhibition

Duke took on UCF in the 2025 Brotherhood Run which saw Johnny Dawkins return to Durham for some love. Duke battled all night and were up just one point at half but pulled away in the second half for a 96-71 win.

Of course, it is game one and a learning experience. Also, Dame Sarr and Maliq Brown were notable omissions. There is quite a bit that stood out. Here are some clear observations from the game.

Immediate Reaction to Duke vs UCF Brotherhood Run

1. Cameron Boozer Better Than Advertised

There is no way the conversation starts with anything other than the dominance of Cameron Boozer. He finished with an easy double-double, pouring in 33 points and added 12 rebounds. Boozer dominated the entire game with incredible efficiency. He was the only positive for Duke in the first half and he kept that going all second half. He showed a wide-range of his skills and scored from all three levels.

As Duke struggled, they went to Boozer on the block to get some rhythm to their offense. He does not at all appear like a freshman and can dominate with physicality. He is a comfortable shooter off the bounce or spotting up. There is also an array of post-moves he demonstrated, with his favorite being the drop step. In the second-half, he also showed a nice ability to breakdown his defender and get to the rim.

2. Isaiah Evans Must Return to Attacking Roots

Isaiah Evans is arguably the best shooter in the nation. He also has a quick trigger and the ultimate green light. However, Evans needs to get back to his high school roots and attack off the bounce. Evans is far too talented of a player to just be a three-point shooter.

In the second half, Evans was more confident at using his dribble. He ended the game with 14 points but in order for Duke to reach their ceiling they need Evans to be much more than just a three-point shooter.

3. Paint Penetration Problems

Duke has a clear and obvious issue with getting into the paint off the bounce. Caleb Foster did not look comfortable as the starting point guard and Cayden Boozer looked like he lacked some athleticism. Neither player found the ability to consistently get into the lane. Boozer at least picked it up for an overall nice outing.

Beyond these two, Nik Khamenia was the other guy that attempted to get into the lane. He was arguably the second best player in the exhibition and brought back shades of Kon Knueppel with his jumpstops and pivots. He was also able to draw many fouls and took 12 free throws.

Duke absolutely must find a paint penetrator if they want to cut down nets. Foster has to be the guy. Dame Sarr will have some playmaking abilities but he still has a lot more to prove as well.

4. Rotation Weirdness

Sebastian Wilkins was notably absent from most of the exhibition. He seemed like a sure-fire rotational player but based on the first 40 minutes of the season, that does not seem to be the case. Wilkins can add a lot as a stretch four with good size but it seems he still has to earn more minutes.

Patrick Ngongba also seemed to struggle a bit and played fewer minutes as Cameron Boozer played a lot of minutes at the five. Ngongba may only average 15-20 minutes per night based on the first exhibition. Darren Harris also played less than anticipated. Some would have expected him to be the starter with Sarr out but Khamenia clearly cemented himself in that role.

Last Word

Duke ultimately wrapped up a win in exhibition game one. They struggled for a bit but ended up pulling away easily. Next up is Tennessee on Sunday. Let’s hope that Brown and Sarr will be available so we can see Duke at full strength. That game first Texas is in exactly 2 weeks from tonight.

There were plenty of positives including Cameron Boozer and Khamenia. The negatives can easily get ironed out with more experience. Foster and Evans will ultimately hold the keys to Duke’s ceiling.