It has been a great start to 2025 for Duke basketball. The Blue Devils thrashed SMU 89-62 in their first game without head coach Jon Scheyer on the sidelines.

In Scheyer's absence due to an illness, which kept him from making the trip to Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas, it was acting head coach Chris Carrawell who led Duke to another statement victory on Saturday. It became clear that Carrawell knew the assignment.

“It was great to get it done without my guy, Coach Scheyer wanted to be here, but our entire team did a great job – coaches and players, we executed – got great looks, 22 assists, we just played well together,” Carrawell said, per David Shumate of Duke Athletics.

Improving to 12-2 on the season, the Blue Devils are currently ranked as the No. 4 team in the country and appear to keep growing more resilient with more games that they play.

Next up for Duke basketball

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Ahead of Duke basketball's return to face Pitt on their home floor back in Durham,  Scheyer should be available, but at least the team knows that they are in safe hands with Carrawell, if needed.

Star freshman Cooper Flagg once again showcased his dominance as one of the best players in the nation, recording 24 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday's win. He's continued to show leadership at his young age, alongside Tyrese Proctor and Kon Knueppel who each chipped in with 14 points against SMU.

Returning to Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils will look to keep the momentum. They're rolling on an eight-game win streak, and have an opportunity to test their momentum up against a strong ACC opponent in the Panthers, who are also sitting with a 12-2 record.

Duke will continue to try and fend off other teams in their conference, with upcoming games against unranked teams leading into February.