While Florida was voted No. 1 to open the college basketball season, there’s a case to be made that Duke Basketball has the best team from top to bottom. The No. 2 ranked Blue Devils have coasted to wins over Coastal Carolina and Army to open the season, facing little resistance.
That stops on Tuesday, with the Blue Devils taking on No. 5 Michigan State, one of the top programs in the nation. There will be plenty of storylines in this matchup that could decide the outcome of this battle. Here’s a look at some keys to the game for the Blue Devils to win this.
1. Patrick Ngongba vs Spartans center rotation
There will be plenty of discussion as to who the best player for Duke is but so far, Ngongba leads them in scoring with 19 ppg and 8.0 rpg. The junior is set to be the focal point of the offense and takes on a Michigan State squad with plenty of questions at the center spot. Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke was benched during portions of preseason games and isn’t playing more than 20 mpg so far. This is a matchup that Ngongba should be able to capitalize in and have a big individual outing.
2. Defending Jeremy Fears
There’s no question as to who Michigan State’s best player is, with Fears leading the team with 12.5 ppg and 10 apg. He’s one of the best pure passers in the country and their lead guard, with the offense going through him. If he goes off, Duke’s chances of winning will dim. They’ll have multiple guards to throw at him, with Caleb Foster and Cayden Boozer most likely to get the defensive assignments.
3. Effective outing from Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje
The athletic 7’2 freshman forward is putting up 12 ppg and 6.0 rpg in two games, along with six total blocks. There’s a ton of hype with Boumtje Boumtje as an early projected top pick in the 2028 NBA Draft but how will he do against and athletic and defensive-minded frontcourt? This will be a nice test for the young big, with a big spotlight in the Champions Classic. Duke could win without him going off but if Boumtje Boumtje does, Blue Devils’ odds of winning will be very high.
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