Three Biggest Takeaways from Duke's Win Over Texas

With all that being said, here are the main takeaways from the Blue Devils win on Tuesday night.

Cameron Boozer Underwhelms

Despite the anticipation around Vital's return to the commentary table and Duke's top recruiting class this offseason, the game did not live up to the hype.

That began with Boozer, who did not record a single shot made in the first half, shooting 0-7 from the field and 0-3 from beyond the arc.

The freshman forward utilized his physicality and strength to orchestrate easy looks at the rim and draw fouls, getting to the free-throw line at will, but outside of that, he was majorly disappointing.

Boozer finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds, but he shot 3-of-12 from the field and 0-of-4 from three-point range. He lived at the free throw line, as mentioned, hitting 9-of-12 attempts.

Isaiah Evans was the Player of the Game

Without Evans, who knows how close this game would have been at halftime? The sophomore guard scored 15 points in the first half, and he only missed two shots during that timeframe.

Despite that, Texas led Duke 33-32 at halftime, which would have been a larger margin if it weren't for Evans' hot start from the field.

Evans finished the game with 23 points, shooting 7-for-13 from the field and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Texas' Physicality was an Issue for Duke

The only reason the Longhorns were able to stick around and compete in this game was because of their ability to rebound and create second-chance points.

This was especially the case in the first half when Texas outrebounded Duke 25-11, which included 12 offensive rebounds. Offensively, the Longhorns were in disarray, shooting 33.3% from the field and committing 12 turnovers in the first 20 minutes.

Duke turned things around in that department, outrebounding Texas 21-13 in the second half, which allowed the Blue Devils to build a substantial lead and coast to victory.

It was a good learning experience for a young team, but Duke is going to face much more physical and talented teams than Texas this season.

Make sure you stay up to date with all Duke content by following us on Facebook, by clicking HERE and following us on X (formerly Twitter) HERE