Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer. Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Second-half surge leads Duke to first 10-0 start in eight years

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Dec 6, 2025 3:21 PM ET

There may not be a better team in college basketball than the Duke Blue Devils.

Searching for its first 10-0 start in eight seasons, Duke headed to East Lansing for a top-10 showdown of unbeaten teams against the Michigan State Spartans. A dominant second half helped the Blue Devils escape with a 66-60 win and get to 10-0 for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

Tale of two halves

Michigan State was in control of the game going into halftime with a 34-31 lead over the No. 4-ranked Blue Devils. The second half, though, saw Duke come out with a different purpose and energy, leading it to outscore Michigan State 35-26.

The nine-point second-half differential was largely in part to the Spartans going just 10-of-33 (30.3%) from the field in the second half. The poor shooting was evident on both sides, with Duke and Michigan State shooting 38% and 32% from the field for the game, respectively.

MASSIVE ROAD DUB pic.twitter.com/XIlppHTLkC
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) December 6, 2025

Cameron Boozer is the No. 1 overall pick

The son of NBA veteran Carlos Boozer has been dominant all season long and that continued in Saturday's win. After scoring just two points in the first half, Boozer scored 16 in the second half to finish with 18 points and 15 rebounds.

Through the first 10 games of his college career, Boozer is averaging 23 points (second in nation) and 9.9 rebounds per game. He's doing so on 55.9% shooting from the field and 36.4% from three-point range.

Boozer is cementing his case to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and with continued production, he will almost certainly be the top selection.

Cameron Boozer on the road against No. 7 Michigan State:

18 PTS | 7-13 FG | 15 REB | 5 AST pic.twitter.com/8olDgdxN3i
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) December 6, 2025

Duke is certainly a national championship contender

With a 10-0 record and wins over four ranked teams already this season, Duke is undoubtedly a national championship contender. Head coach Jon Scheyer has a real chance to get his team to the final game of the season for the first time in his tenure in Durham.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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