Nothing has come easy for No. 6 Duke in Atlantic Coast Conference outings this season, and the Blue Devils expect a major tussle this weekend.
No. 24 SMU will be the opponent Saturday afternoon in Durham, N.C.
The Mustangs are aware that this will be another challenge for them as well.
“Our guys have been in big games before on the road,” SMU coach Andy Enfield said.
Duke (14-1, 3-0 ACC) rallied to win 84-73 at No. 20 Louisville on Tuesday. Junior guard Caleb Foster scored a career-best 20 points to support Cameron Boozer’s 27 points and Isaiah Evans’ 23 points.
“I think it’s all collective,” Foster said. “I don’t think it’s just one person that needs to lead. I think it’s all five coming together and talking and getting stops (on defense).”
SMU (12-3, 1-1), playing in its first game with a ranking since 2017, dropped a 74-70 decision on Wednesday night at Clemson. A double-digit deficit in the first half was troublesome.
“We beat ourselves a lot, especially in the first half,” Enfield said. “We did some really uncharacteristic things. You can’t allow physicality to force you to take bad shots. … Our guys are experienced and they understand that they have to play better, and they will.”
Duke possesses a variety of offensive options. Boozer has reached the 20-point level in nine games this season.
“Offensively, his efficiency, his ability to make others better,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “I think for him, he just understands what the game requires. Just his love for the game, his preparation and then his ability to feel what’s required.”
Evans is averaging 22.7 points per outing in ACC play, with the sophomore reaching 20 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. Meanwhile, Foster continues to receive praise from Scheyer as a player who might be under-the-radar in some circles.
“There have been some really great moments still,” Scheyer said of Foster. “And I think for him, he believes, and I believe, the best is yet to come. His commitment to Duke, his commitment to our team, should be really celebrated.”
Foster had 16 points in the second half of the Louisville game.
“We needed a spark,” he said. “Whatever the team needs, I’m willing to do.”
Duke played three consecutive ranked opponents earlier this season, and now it’s back-to-back such matchups in league play. The Blue Devils are aiming to beat a sixth Top 25 foe.
Duke won 89-62 last January at SMU. Mustangs guard Boopie Miller had 21 points in that game.
Miller previously played at Cameron Indoor Stadium when he was with Wake Forest for the 2023-24 season. He was held to three points in the game at Duke and later had a 15-point effort at home when Wake Forest upset the Blue Devils.
SMU went 7-3 in ACC road games last year in its first season in the conference.
Duke will be home for the first time since New Year’s Eve, when it fended off Georgia Tech.
