It was supposed to be just another day in Durham.
A few summer practice clips. A few dunks. A few drills. Nothing out of the ordinary… until everything went off the rails.
A now-viral practice reel from Duke’s closed-door workout has sent Blue Devil Nation into a frenzy — and not all of it is good.
The video, which surfaced late last night, shows a chaotic stretch of five-on-five action filled with incredible highs — and uncomfortable lows. Isaiah Evans threw down a violent dunk that had teammates jumping off the bench. Darren Harris hit a deep corner three that sent a team manager to the floor in disbelief.
But then things took a turn.
Turnovers. Missed assignments. Heated words between players. A fast break where nobody got back on defense. At one point, assistant coaches could be seen stopping play and holding an impromptu huddle — something rarely seen in scrimmage clips.
Fans on social media were torn.
> “This team is insanely talented. You can see it. But are they focused enough to win in March?” one fan posted.
> “We’re either going undefeated… or losing in the first round. There’s no in-between,” joked another.
Some pointed out the inconsistency — for every elite-level moment, there was a head-scratching lapse. Patrick Ngongba II had back-to-back blocks… but followed them with a misread on help defense. Caleb Foster looked like the most vocal leader on the floor — until he got picked at half court.
Then there was Maliq Brown — the glue guy. At one point, he was seen diving on the floor for a loose ball, yelling out switches, and barking at teammates to step up their energy. “He’s the only one treating this like it’s the Final Four,” a coach reportedly said from the sideline.
Whether it’s overreaction or real concern, one thing is clear: Duke’s summer practices aren’t boring. If this is the preseason energy, the regular season might be pure chaos — in the best way possible.
