Duke Basketball: 3 takeaways from exhibition win over D-II Lincoln

Once again, Duke Basketball is one of the most anticipated teams to watch this season. They have the No. 1 incoming transfer class, along with multiple key transfers. The preseason top-10 team had their first public look against Lincoln, a D-II program.

As expected, the Blue Devils had no issue, scoring 50+ points in each half for the 107-56 win. There may not have been much ground-breaking news on the game but there were some notable takeaways for those who watched.

Here are my top 3.

Cooper Flagg's big impact

The consensus No. 1 freshman and future No. 1 NBA Draft pick had several star moments in this game, scoring a team-high 22 points in 24 minutes on 8/16 shooting. He had four blocks on the defensive end as well, including six assists. He's going to get double-teams as well so his playmaking ability is a big deal for Duke. For a "debut" Flagg looked as good as advertised.

Intriguing starting lineup

Flagg, freshman Kon Knueppel, and Caleb Foster were part of the starting lineup. Transfers Maliq Brown and Sion James also got the nods, with junior guard Tyrese Proctor coming off the bench. He still had a great game, with 19 points in 23 minutes, so it may be best for the team for Proctor to be the sixth Man and run the second unit. We'll see if that's the lineup on opening night.

The other star freshmen

Flagg isn't the only freshman to watch on the Blue Devils. Knueppel, who got the start as well, finished with 17 points on 5/9 shooting from three-point range, giving the team a clear shooting threat. Isaiah Evans and Darren Harris each made a couple of three-pointers, while Center Khaman Maluach had a game-high 11 rebounds off the bench.

It's a roster loaded with talent, including all first-year players. It'll be interesting to see how the rotations work out in November, but Coach Jon Scheyer certainly has a ton to work with.