Coming into the 2026 Champions Classic, Duke Basketball was riding high. They were ranked No. 2 in the country and were favored by a decent amount against Michigan State in a top-5 matchup. However, nothing for the Blue Devils went right, going down double-digits just a few minutes into the game, having to play catch up for all 40 minutes.
They never could, with Duke falling 79-73 for its first loss of the season. There’s no shame in losing to Coach Tom Izzo and the Spartans but there were some glaring issues from the game. Here are some key takeaways from the defeat.
1. Patrick Ngongba struggles vs Spartan bigs
Reportedly, the junior big man had been dealing with an illness before the game, though he ultimately started and played 29 minutes. Yes, Ngongba finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists. But the reality is that he was bad, unable to finish inside despite having a clear advantage against Michigan State’s frontcourt. We can give him a pass because he was ill but none of the other Blue Devils forwards had good outings either.
2. Dame Sarr’s regression game
The sophomore wing had been in early stages of a breakout campaign, scoring double figures in the first couple of games. But he was a complete non-factor against the Spartans, scoring six points and having more turnovers (3) than made field goals (1). This is the kind of game that could’ve helped with Sarr’s NBA Draft stock but the Spartans successfully bottled him up, helping explain why Duke Basketball was down early and often.
3. Foster/Boozer fail to contribute
By his standards, John Blackwell had a pedestrian game, scoring 17 points on 6/16 FG shooting. But he was elite compared to the other guards, with Caleb Foster and Cayden Boozer combining to produce 15 points on 4/15 FG shooting. With Ngongba sick and struggling and Sarr giving them nothing, the Blue Devils couldn’t afford their returning guards to also play badly, as well as being unable to stop Jeremy Fears Jr. on the other end.
Duke Basketball still can win a national title but it’s clear that they’re far from unbeatable.
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