“If This Is Duke’s Future, It’s Not Looking Good…” — Practice Performance Sparks Debate
It didn’t take long for summer practice footage to make its way online—and when it did, the reaction was immediate. A few sloppy possessions, missed rotations, and visible frustration from players has ignited concern among Duke fans: Is this really the future of Blue Devil basketball?
Sources close to the program say the team is still adjusting, especially the new crop of freshmen: Cameron Boozer, Cayden Boozer, Nikolas Khamenia, Dame Sarr, and Sebastian Wilkins. Each has shown flashes of brilliance, but the word around Durham is that consistency is missing.
One clip circulating social media shows a frustrated Caleb Foster barking at teammates after back-to-back turnovers. Another shows Isaiah Evans getting beat on a simple backdoor cut. Fans were quick to weigh in:
> “We look lost out there… this is NOT Duke basketball.”
— @BlueDevilFan23
> “It’s early, but I expected WAY more from this group. All that talent and this is what we’re seeing?”
— @DurhamTruths
Head Coach Jon Scheyer, however, isn’t panicking.
> “This is part of the process,” he said after practice. “We’ve got young guys learning a new system. I’d be worried if it looked perfect right now.”
Veterans like Maliq Brown and Patrick Ngongba II are reportedly providing vocal leadership, but even they haven’t looked sharp, according to insiders.
So—is it just summer rust? Or a sign of deeper issues with the team’s chemistry and identity?
For now, one thing’s clear: the expectations in Durham are sky-high, and anything short of excellence will spark a firestorm.
