The Duke Blue Devils kicked off the 2026-27 regular season with an 84-50 win over Army at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

There were some growing pains, but the Blue Devils' length, elite defensive potential, and pure depth were on full display. Let's go through a few instant observations from the win.

Point Guards for Days

Cayden Boozer got the start at point guard for the Blue Devils against Army, but as we discussed before the regular season got going, it doesn't matter all that much who the starter is. Head coach Jon Scheyer has three high-level point guards on his roster to run the show alongside John Blackwell.

Boozer defended at a very high level, was aggressive getting to the basket, and took what the defense gave him. The sophomore didn't force plays that weren't there and didn't get sped up. Caleb Foster is a fantastic defensive guard, and with his size, he brings another great element for the Blue Devils on that side of the ball.

5-star freshman Deron Rippey Jr. has earned his spot in this rotation, and he deserves to play serious minutes. The rookie is a box-office athlete, defends the perimeter with physicality and constant intensity, and runs the break well in transition. Duke even operated with a couple of three-guard lineups tonight. Duke has incredible guard depth, which will be a big advantage in big games and in the postseason.

Move the Basketball

The Blue Devils hit a bit of an offensive rut later on in the first half, but they moved the basketball so well early. Duke has so many offensive threats, which makes it extremely difficult for opposing defenses to game plan against stopping one leading scorer. Blackwell didn't have a great debut for Duke, but it has other options, so the offense can still score at a high level and find high-percentage looks even when its best scorer isn't a heavy contributor in that department.

Offense Will Take Some Time

Like most teams in college basketball, the Blue Devils will take some time to operate offensively like a well-oiled machine. Army's zone defense seemed to bother Duke, and there were some sloppy turnovers here and there. Additionally, the three-point shot didn't play a huge role for Duke, but the Blue Devils showed in their preseason games that they have the potential to be a really good outside shooting club.

Duke didn't look perfect tonight, and the offense will need more time to fully gel. However, that's the case for most contenders in the sport. Blackwell will be a big-time scoring threat more often than not, and the Blue Devils will take better care of the basketball as time goes on.