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- Duke showcased deep rosters for both men’s and women’s teams at Countdown to Craziness.
- Scheyer and Lawson led energized walkouts, surprise guests, then competitive scrimmages.
- Freshmen and transfers made impact plays, keeping Duke among 2025 national contenders.
Durham
With Duke holding its annual “Countdown to Craziness,” it isn’t crazy to say the Blue Devils might have two national contenders by season’s end.
There was a lot of basketball talent on the floor on Friday at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Some of it is proven and some young and unbridled, but there’s no doubting the depth in the talent pool.
Kara Lawson’s women’s team, fresh off an ACC championship, was the first to take the floor before some highly energized students and fans — the students loud, swaying and wearing blue, illuminated devil’s horns.
Lawson walked out in a virtual wall of fire, looking as if she was ready to play for a national championship, her game face on. Before her entrance, the “Sisterhood” was introduced individually, each player bouncing around the court before hurling a T-shirt into the crowd.
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer laughs while sitting with Jayson Tatum during Duke basketball’s Countdown to Craziness at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. Ethan Hyman [email protected]
The guys, fresh off an ACC championship themselves, were next up, with Devils coach Jon Scheyer first quietly taking the court with a young son on each side, each wearing No. 30, their dad’s old number at Duke.
As if having five national championship banners in the gym isn’t enough of a reminder, a video was played to further stoke the crowd, showing Scheyer the player, hugging his old coach, Mike Krzyzewski. There was Zion Williamson throwing one down and, of course, a high-rise jam by Cooper Flagg, now in the “former” ranks of big Duke stars.
The Duke players each had walkout songs during their introductions, with a few dance steps to match. Ifeanyl Ufochukwu, the 6-11 transfer from Rice, really got things hopping and everyone had their fun.
Scheyer also had a surprise in store for the crowd and saved it for last. In came Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics megastar still rehabbing his Achilles tendon injury. He’s always welcome back at Cameron, and Scheyer said, “He’ll be helping us out this season” without being specific.
But after the shows, the personality time, came the basketball. The men scrimmaged, with the Boozer twins — Cameron and Cayden — teamed together on the White squad while the Blue team was led by Caleb Foster and Isaiah Evans.
Duke’s Patrick Ngongba II (21) celebrates after making the basket while being fouled during Duke basketball’s Countdown to Craziness at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. Duke’s Cayden Boozer (2) is to the right. Ethan Hyman [email protected]
Foster and Cayden Boozer again went head-to-head, the two competitive guards each having their moments. Boozer might have had the sweetest pass of the scrimmage, setting up Dame Sarr for a quick-twitch layup, and Foster led both teams with four assists.
Patrick Ngongba II had the place buzzing with a twisting, acrobatic move in the paint that the 6-11 sophomore turned into a 3-point play for the Blue. Evans, never hesitant, got up seven 3-point shots in the scrimmage’s 12 minutes, knocking down three and Nikolas Khamenia had some nice moves to the hoop for the Blue squad.
The game had an “Elam Ending” and the target score set at 33. Freshman Sebastian Wilkins ended it with a 3 from the left corner for a 34-23 victory for the Blue.
Duke’s Isaiah Evans motions to the crowd as he is introduced during Duke basketball’s Countdown to Craziness at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. Ethan Hyman [email protected]
The women’s team matched up against team managers. The guys jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but the women took the lead midway through the 12-minute scrimmage on a Jordan Wood 3-pointer and cruised to a 27-19 win.
“I’m so excited about these ladies behind me,” Lawson told the crowd after the introductions.
Lawson should be. The Duke women’s team was 29-8 last season, topping N.C. State for the ACC title and reaching the Elite Eight before a tough, close loss to South Carolina denied them a spot in the 2025 Final Four.
The Duke’s men’s team again will be among the trendy picks for a shot at the NCAA title, despite the departure of Flagg, Kon Knueppel, et. al, to the NBA. The talent is there — and was on display Friday.
This story was originally published October 3, 2025 at 10:20 PM.
Chip Alexander
The News & Observer
In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.
