5 Duke basketball observations from Blue Devils’ scrimmage at Countdown to Craziness
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DURHAM, N.C. — The 2026-27 Duke basketball season is officially here, and fans got their first look at the Blue Devils on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Cameron Indoor Stadium at Countdown to Craziness.
The evening featured several fan activities along with an intrasquad scrimmage for the Blue Devils ahead of the 2026-27 season. Fifth-year head coach Jon Scheyer has a roster five returners from last year's Elite Eight squad along with three transfers and the nation's second-rated recruiting class.
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The night ended with a scrimmage split between the Blue and White teams. The Blue team consisted of Dame Sarr, Cayden Boozer, John Blackwell, Maxime Meyer, Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Brock Davis and Jacob Theodosiou. The White team consisted of Bryson Howard, Deron Rippey Jr., Patrick Ngongba II, Caleb Foster, Cameron Wilkins, Sebastian Wilkins and Nick Arnold.
It was the first team to 28 to win it, and the White team reached that mark behind a RIppey trey to win 29-24.
Duke will play exhibitions vs. Belmont (Oct. 8) and Tennessee (Oct. 20) and at Kansas (Oct. 25) before officially starting its season on Nov. 2 against Army at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Here are some observations from the first look at the 2026-27 Blue Devils:
Who started at Countdown to Craziness?
Cayden Boozer, Dame Sarr, John Blackwell, Max Meyer and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje started for the Blue team. Caleb Foster, Deron Rippey Jr., Sebastian Wilkins, Bryson Howard and Patrick Ngongba II started for the White team.
Patrick Ngongba II leaves scrimmage early
Ngongba started for the White team but went down with 3:45 left. Ngongba was on the court in visible pain with a towel over his head before he was moved to the bench. Trainers were looking at his head but his injury is unclear.
They took a brief break in play after Ngongba's injury and Jon Scheyer addressed the crowd.
"Most importantly, Pat is going to be fine," Scheyer said.
Ngongba did not reenter the scrimmage and remained on the bench with his jersey off but was up and standing to shake hands with teammates after the final whistle. The 6-foot-11 junior has dealt with injuries throughout his time in Durham.
John Blackwell leads both teams in points
Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell led the way in scoring, finishing with 10 points while going 3-for-6 from the field. Blackwell made one of his three 3-point attempts and was 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. Max Meyer and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje both pulled down two rebounds to lead both teams while Deron Rippey Jr. led both squads with three assists
Deron Rippey Jr. shines with game-winner, Sebastian Wilkins perfect for White team
Deron Rippey Jr. led the White team with seven points and three assists across 11 minutes, ending the night with a triple. The freshman came to Duke known for his athleticism and dunking ability, showing it with a one-handed slam off a pass from Foster.
Sebastian Wilkins also had a good showing for the White team, with his 7 points matching Rippey Jr. for a team-high. Wilkins didn't miss a shot on the night, shooting 2-for-2 from the field, one a 3-pointer, and making his two free throw attempts in five minutes of action.
The duo both also notched two steals.
Who didn't play for Duke basketball at Countdown to Craziness?
As expected, Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski did not play. He announced he was "working through" a knee injury at Duke's Sept. 24 media day, with a goal to return by the season opener. Outside of Scharnowski, freshman Cameron WIlliams was originally thought to be limited with a Duke spokesperson saying before the scrimmage that the freshman was sick last week and missed a lot of practice time. Williams did take part in the dunk contest prior to the scrimmage and came off the bench for the White team, finishing with 3 points across nine minutes.
Anna Snyder covers Duke for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her @annaesnydr on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: 5 Duke basketball observations from Blue Devils’ scrimmage at Countdown to Craziness