Duke basketball got fans erupting in loud cheers at Cameron Indoor Stadium Monday. All thanks to Isaiah Evans throwing it down in alley-oop fashion against Syracuse.

The Blue Devils accelerated into transition following a steal. Evans got out in front and sprinted behind the Orange defense. The 6-foot-6 sophomore timed his leap to throw down this epic alley-oop:

Evans returned after a stellar freshman season to clearly create plays like that first half sequence. He elevated the decibel levels inside one of the nation's loudest arenas.

His Blue Devils also expanded their lead in the process by taking an 18-point lead near halftime.

Duke cementing case as ACC, national title threat

Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) with the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center.
Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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Evans opted to run it back in Durham while his heralded teammate Cooper Flagg became a one-and-done.

That decision paid off for the Fayetteville, N.C., native. Evans entered Monday's Atlantic Coast Conference showdown averaging 14.4 points per game (averaged over the 6.8 PPG he averaged as a freshman).

He's also earned an increase in minutes by jumping to 27.8 per contest. And his rebounds (3.1) have also jumped compared to last season.

Evans' return has handed the Blue Devils needed experience post Flagg. He's lifted the Blue Devils to a 23-2 record entering Monday night and ranked No. 3 in the nation.

Duke can land one of the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament come March. Of course the Blue Devils' chances there increases if they win the ACC tournament and win out.

Duke trails behind Houston (23-2 overall) and Michigan (24-1) in the top 25 rankings.