The Duke Blue Devils know exactly what it will take to reach their ultimate goal this season — a championship-level defense. Head coach Jon Scheyer has made that the heart of his program since taking over in Durham. Every practice, every drill, every game begins with the same message: toughness, effort, and defensive focus win titles.
Heading into today’s matchup, that message hasn’t changed. Scheyer wants his team to build on what they showed in their season opener against Texas — flashes of elite defensive potential that turned stops into fast-break points and completely shifted the game’s momentum.
He knows his group is young, and that growth won’t happen overnight. But this early stretch of the season is all about learning, adjusting, and sharpening the habits that will define Duke when the games really start to matter.
“This one isn’t about margin of victory as much as maturation,” said John Watson of 247Sports. “Even in a ‘buy game,’ Duke can sharpen the edges that mattered most in the opener.”
Scheyer echoed that focus after the 75–60 win over Texas, emphasizing how defense set the tone. “Our defense carried us the whole time,” he said. “Once we started finishing possessions with rebounds, we made it really tough for them to score.”
That same defensive intensity will be the main focus again today. The Blue Devils want to tighten their perimeter rotations and defend without overhelping — especially against a smaller, quicker Western Carolina team that thrives on fast ball movement and perimeter shooting.
Scheyer’s group has the size, activity, and versatility to cause problems all over the floor. The challenge now is to turn that potential into consistency — to make sure every possession counts, every rebound is secured, and every rotation is sharp.
For Duke, today’s game isn’t just another matchup. It’s another step toward becoming the kind of team that can win in March — one that defends with purpose, attacks with confidence, and never lets effort be a question.
That’s the one thing Duke wants to prove today — that their defense isn’t just a talking point, it’s their identity.
