In the world’s most famous arena, two of college basketballs blue blood giants delivered an early season showcase worthy of being played in Madison Square Garden. Fifth ranked Duke stayed unbeaten with a convincing 78–66 win over No. 24 Kansas, improving to 5–0 while handing the Jayhawks their second loss of the young season.
Kansas, now 3–2, came into the night looking sharp despite the absence of projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick Darryn Peterson, who was sidelined with a nagging hamstring injury. Still, the Jayhawks were not intimidated by the moment. They controlled much of the first half, playing poised basketball and keeping the game close deep into the second period.
But once Duke settled in, the Blue Devils showed why expectations in Durham are sky high this year. Head coach Jon Scheyers squad tightened up defensively, found a rhythm in transition, and began imposing its will as the energy in MSG shifted firmly toward Duke blue.
Leading the surge was freshman sensation Cameron Boozer. The highly touted newcomer is currently playing far beyond his years and looks to be a future NBA star much like his father many years ago Carlos Boozer. He scored a team high 18 points while attacking the rim, finding his open teammates, and setting the tone on both ends. Every time Kansas made a push, Boozer had an answer, proving once again he is going to be a major force throughout the season.
Sophomore Isiah Evans complemented the rookies brilliance, hitting shots from deep. Dukes depth and discipline finally wore down the Jayhawks over the final ten minutes as Duke started to pull away. Kansas continued to battle, keeping the margin respectable for most of the night, but the absence of Peterson loomed large as they struggled to find a consistent scorer down the stretch.
When the buzzer sounded, Duke walked off the Garden floor with a statement win — steady, composed, and looking every bit like one of the nations elite teams.
For Kansas, the loss stings, but the effort in such a high profile matchup suggests there is plenty of reason for optimism once their freshman superstar returns. For Duke, the message was simple: this team is serious, and the rest of college basketball is officially on notice as Duke clearly seems to be a high favorite to cut down nets in March.