But while his defensive instincts, physical tools and motor give him a high baseline, his ultimate ceiling hinges on the development of his half-court offensive game.

To unlock that next level of upside, Sarr will need to convert his flashes of transition offense and spot-up shooting into consistent, self-created offense and better dries against structured sets. Below, we dive into the film, stats and physical profile of Dame Sarr to see how his instant defensive impact stacks up against his offensive growth potential.

• Section 1: Point-of-Attack and On-ball Defense

• Section: 2 Defensive Versatility: How many positions can he guard?

• Section 3: Motor: Keep the Engine Running

• Section 4: Chase Defense

• Section 5: Team Defense

• Section 6: Transition Scoring

• Section 7: Cut Game

• Section 8: Spot-up Shooting

• Section 9: Catch and Go

• Section 10: Offensive Initiation

Point-of-Attack and On-ball Defense

There’s much to like about Sarr’s defense, but the most obvious starting spot is his on-ball defense. When watching basketball, it’s natural for the viewer’s eyes to follow the ball. When Duke is on defense, this is often where Sarr will be found at the outset of possessions. Valuing the on-ball defense of Sarr isn’t just about selective attention, though. At 6-foot-8 with a near 7-foot wingspan, with quick hands and smooth lateral movement, Sarr is a force at the point of attack and defending in space along the perimeter.

Duke featured Sarr at the point of attack last season. Assigning him to pressure top-tier perimeter creators, especially high-volume ball-handlers who use a lot of screens and look to create off the bounce, became a cornerstone of Duke’s defensive scheme. Sarr’s length, lateral fluidity and relentless motor make him a disruptive, game-changing defender against elite offensive threats. Look at his extension on this contest, altering a pull-up 3-pointer from Ebuka Okorie (1).

(Quick note: The box score credited Sarr with two blocks in this game, but my unofficial charting counted three, including this contest on the perimeter.)

Okorie was arguably the nation’s premier on-ball creator last season, but Duke gave him fits. The Stanford freshman turned in one of his worst games of the year: nine points on 3-of-9 shooting (1-of-5 from deep), one assist and four turnovers. Turning off Okorie’s water is always a team effort, but Sarr took the primary assignment and did a hell of a job.

Okorie cooked every coverage under the sun with his deep bag of live-ball moves, but Sarr’s combination of discipline and lateral mobility neutralized him on the ball.

With Duke in drop coverage (Patrick Ngongba dropped below the level of the screen), Sarr gets to work against Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson — the nation’s premier off-dribble 3-point shooter last season and, like Okorie, a Top 20 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Sarr glides over consecutive screens set by big man JT Toppin (15), consistently staying in front of the drive or deploying excellent rearview pursuit whenever Anderson (4) tries to snake back to keep Sarr on his hip.

These are twitchy, quick-burst guards with elite handles, yet Sarr completely wrecks shop at the point of attack. Anderson erupted against Duke in Texas Tech’s 82-81 comeback win, but all five of his 3-pointers came with Sarr on the bench — hitting them over Caleb Foster, Isaiah Evans or Ngongba on a switch.

Limited by foul trouble, Sarr played just nine minutes against the Red Raiders. Duke was +9 during his nine minutes on the floor and -10 with him on the bench, surrendering 1.34 points per possession, per CBB Analytics. Granted, Anderson’s savvy on-ball creation and screen craft played a role in those fouls. Here, Anderson uses a jail dribble to pin Sarr on his hip and gets him to leave his feet with a well-timed shot fake.

In Duke’s November matchup against Arkansas, Darius Acuff Jr., another dynamic on-ball creator and the No. 7 pick in the 2026 Draft, erupted for 21 points and five assists. However, all eight of Acuff’s field goals came with someone other than Sarr as the primary defender.

Arkansas’ other star guard, Meleek Thomas (a second round pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers), hit five field goals against Duke, but only one came with Sarr as his direct assignment — a spot-up possession where Sarr showed early help at the nail against an Acuff drive.

These matchups offer granular evidence of a season-long trend: Sarr’s defensive impact was nothing short of elite.

• CBB Analytics: Sarr ranked in the 100th percentile in Defensive Regularized Adjusted Plus/Minus (DRAPM), which isolates a player’s true defensive impact by combining box score metrics with lineup data to adjust for teammate and opponent quality.

• Defensive Win Shares: He landed in the 99th percentile in Defensive Win Shares per 40 minutes.

• EvanMiya’s DBPR metric: Sarr ranked fourth in the ACC in Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating. DBPR adjusts for lineup context and estimates the number of points per 100 possessions a team saves relative to the Division I average with that player on the floor.

• On/Off Impact: Duke’s defense surrendered just 94.6 points per 100 possessions (45.1 eFG%) with Sarr on the court, compared to 100.5 points per 100 possessions (47.8 eFG%) when he sat.

• Historical Context: Sarr is one of just 12 high-major freshman “Wing Forwards” in BartTorvik’s database (dating back to 2007–08) to record a Defensive Box Plus/Minus of 3.5 or higher, joining an elite group that includes Aaron Gordon, Kyle Anderson, De’Andre Hunter, Otto Porter and Zion Williamson.

The Blue Devils were +417 in 893 minutes with Sarr on the floor last season, outscoring opponents by 28.7 points per 100 possessions, according to CBB Analytics. It’s worth noting, however, just how closely Duke tethered Sarr’s minutes to Cam Boozer. Boozer shared the court for 775 of Sarr’s 893 total minutes — nearly 87 percent. Duke was +410 across those 775 shared minutes, but just +7 in the remaining 118 minutes without Boozer.

Assuming this pairing was intentional, the logic is clear: the two complemented each other on opposite ends of the floor. Boozer operated as a roving offensive mismatch — drawing multiple defenders, spraying passes out to open shooters or finding cutters — while Sarr served as the rangy, multidimensional defensive ace who pressured the ball, drained shot clocks and erased mistakes as a weak-side helper.

No matter how you slice the numbers, Sarr was a wildly impactful defender last season, and Duke’s defense was transformed by his presence.

Defensive Versatility: How many positions can he guard?

Playing defense at Duke requires versatility across positions and mastery of varied pick-and-roll schemes. Sarr made his mark hounding high-usage guards, but he’s comfortable battling physical, bulkier forwards like Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg and Donnie Freeman, or chasing off-ball mover threats like Juke Harris, Alex Karaban and Braylon Mullins.

Each assignment demands unique preparation and technique, and Sarr brings a deep toolbox, sharp instincts and an edge to every matchup. He’s a menace at the point of attack against smaller ball handlers, an assignment-based perimeter stopper against the bigger wings and an off-ball screen navigator against the 3-point shooters.

While added muscle will help him hold ground against physical hybrid forwards or post-up bigs on switches, his college tape proves he can cover 1-4, neutralizing everything from face-up power forwards to off-ball shooters.

Late in the first half against UConn, Sarr is attached to Mullins (24). The Huskies run a screen-the-screener action, setting a Flex screen into staggered down screens for Mullins. Sarr stays in his hip pocket, but instead of having Sarr continue to chase, Duke executes a seamless “veer-back” switch: Maliq Brown switches out to contest Mullins’ curl, while Sarr veers back to stick center Eric Reibe (12), finishing the possession with a box-out and a rebound.

Sarr’s fluid, athletic profile allows him to slide across positions and scheme assignments with relative ease. Watch him here against Arkansas: he starts on Thomas (1) before switching onto power forward Trevon Brazile (7) on a handoff exchange. From there, he picks up Billy Richmond (24) off a Brazile off-ball screen, and caps it off by switching into the post against 6-foot-10, 240-pound center Malique Ewin (12). Sarr brings the possession to a halt, ending all of the window dressing/fluff from Arkansas, by deflecting the entry pass into Ewin.

An added bonus, Sarr is a menace in passing lanes after switches. When he switches onto an opposing 5, any lazy or off-target feed — whether a post entry to Ewin or a lob from Thomas Haugh (10) to Micah Handlogten (3) on the roll — is prime territory for Sarr to jump and turn into a transition opportunity.

Motor: Keep the Engine Running

As soon as Sarr’s defensive confidence fully clicked last season, his motor started to run really hot. He’ll expend massive energy hounding the ball full-court, shift seamlessly into active team defense and instantly sprint in the other direction when Duke pushes in transition.

Here, SMU runs a 5-out set around Jaden Toombs (10). Sarr is assigned to Jaron Pierre Jr. (5), a recent second round pick of the New Orleans Pelicans. Pierre briefly shakes Sarr by sprinting toward Toombs before planting and cutting backdoor. The sharp change of direction causes Sarr to slip and lose touch with Pierre. Cam Boozer rotates out to cover, but Sarr’s relentless second-effort shines: he recovers all the way from beyond the arc to the restricted area, making up the lost ground to swipe the steal.

Sarr never concedes a possession; if he gets caught behind the play, he’ll fight to erase the advantage. It’s this high-octane motor that unleashes his full physical toolkit and allows his defensive instincts to take center stage.

Chase Defense

Sarr’s screen navigation and “stickiness” as a defender transfers seamlessly to his off-ball coverage, too. Whether he’s navigating pindowns, flare screens or handoffs, Sarr’s ability to slink around screeners makes him exceptionally difficult to pick off. He glides past potential contact, leveraging his long strides and wingspan to maintain pressure.

On this possession at Florida State, Sarr begins at the point of attack before shifting into off-ball chase mode as the action flows through the high post. FSU initiates “Zoom” action, prompting Sarr to switch up the line on the down screen for Robert McCray (6). From there, he instantly flashes into the gap as Alex Steen (25) attempts a dribble-handoff with McCray. Sarr completely disrupts the timing of the play, using his length to slice in and deflect the DHO.

On possessions where screeners land solid contact against Sarr’s skinny frame, his competitiveness and recovery traits shine as he fights back into the play.

Here, Wake Forest runs a clever baseline out-of-bounds set to set up Juke Harris (2) for a strong-side corner 3. The Demon Deacons line up in a “Box” formation (four players stacked at the elbows and blocks) and trigger “Loop” action that flows directly into “Floppy” for Harris, who starts at the left elbow before cutting off three baseline screens.

The triple screen creates a complex maze for Sarr to navigate while chasing Harris (87 3PM last season), one of the premier movement scorers in the country. Sarr absorbs contact on the initial back screen from Cooper Schwieger (13) and has to re-route around his own teammate, Cameron Boozer, who gets caught in the congestion. Near the tail end of the play, Sarr slides around a (moving) down screen from Tre’Von Spillers (25) to close out and contest Harris without fouling.

During the matchup against Okorie last season, Sarr was so blistering on the ball that Kyle Smith and Stanford tried to get Okorie as an off-ball mover in “Floppy” action. Even then, Sarr continued to hound the talented freshman guard.

If opponents try to move their primary creators off the ball to grant them breathing room, Sarr makes it nearly impossible for them to touch it again. Case in point on this possession against Louisville: Sarr picks up Ryan Conwell (3) full-court, face-guarding the star guard and completely denying him the ball during a high-stakes second-half possession in a one-point game.

Of course, a clever offense like Louisville tries to turn Sarr’s face-guarding against him. Here, Conwell sets a screen for Adrian Wooley (14), generating an open 3-pointer. From a process standpoint, though, this is an inefficient possession for the Cards. Only two players touch the ball: Wooley and Kasean Pryor (7), a career 28.1 percent 3-point shooter, who bricks his look from deep following 18 dribbles from Wooley.

When the two sides met up in Durham, Sarr continued to work as a use off-ball chaser on Conwell. Louisville runs screen-the-screener action for Conwell on this possession, looking to get J’Vonne Hadley (1) a post touch or Conwell a look coming off a down screen. When Conwell sets the slice screen for Hadley, Sarr opens up and helps in the post for a second — allowing Cam Boozer to get back to Hadley — before racing out with an excellent closeout on Conwell.

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Team Defense

While Sarr’s defensive reputation is headlined by his on-ball stopping power, focusing solely on the point of attack undersells his all-court impact. Sarr is equally potent as a team defender: shrinking gaps, executing impromptu peel-switch rotations, and offering the kind of weak-side rim protection that elevates his overall floor and ceiling.

Matched up against Syracuse, Sarr starts in the left slot — one pass away from the ball — as JJ Starling (2) lifts to set a ball screen for Nate Kingz (4).

As Kingz drives middle, Sarr shows early help off Naithan George (11), digging down to the nail. The moment Kingz sprays the pass out to George in the corner, Sarr is already in motion, sprinting out to take away the open 3. He covers ground on the closeout, stays down on George’s pump fake and immediately slides into position to contain the baseline drive.

In the span of roughly five seconds, Sarr corrals two drives, snuffs out an open look from beyond the arc and forces a deflection. He can make stuff like this look fairly routine.

Next, UNC’s Luka Bogavac (44) attempts to attack Boozer off the bounce in transition. Bogavac looks to have a lane into the paint, but Sarr is positioned in the gap once again, waiting to pick his pocket. The sequence culminates in a clean swipe-and-score for Sarr on the break.

Following in the footsteps of Sion James, Sarr became the next Duke wing to make an impact with peel switches. In this scheme, a off-ball help defender “peels” off their original assignment to take over a driving ball handler who has beaten their primary defender, prompting the original defender to rotate out and cover the help defender’s open man or a secondary cutter.

This is switching on the fly without a screen: as the Niagara ball handler drives past Cam Boozer, Sarr steps over to wall off the ball while Boozer sinks into the paint to cover his man

A few minutes later in the same game, Foster gets taken off the bounce; however, Sarr peels in off the short corner and stops the straight-line drive to the rim. Foster covers back to Sarr’s initial assignment in the corner.

Ultimately, Sarr contains the ball and ends the possession with a rejection. The block will show up in the stat sheet for Sarr, but he doesn’t get that without a solid bit of reactive playmaking.

Sarr’s work behind the play is impressive, too.

Clinging to a four-point lead and desperately trying to avoid an NCAA Tournament upset against Siena, Duke defends this slot ball screen with Cam Boozer hedging—placing two defenders on the ball. With the three Siena players outside the action spacing the floor above the arc, a wide-open roll lane opens up for the screener. It’ll be up to Sarr, as the low-man defender, to plug the hole.

For a split second, it looks like a guaranteed dunk for Siena’s center; however, Sarr flashes to the rim from the weak-side corner and — like LeBron James blocking Tiago Splitter in Game 2 of the 2013 NBA Finals — erases a high-percentage look on a game-altering possession.

Here against UNC, Cameron Boozer hard hedges a slot ball screen between Bogavac and Zayden High (1). Boozer sticks with Bogavac for several dribbles, pulling away from High as Trimble — defended by Sarr — shakes up the left wing. Sarr could easily ball watch or listlessly follow Trimble up the floor, but he spots High wide open in the point as Bogavac drives baseline. Decisively abandoning his assignment, Sarr crashes down on High just as he receives the pass from Bogavac. High thinks he has an uncontested layup, but Sarr soars in from behind to pin the shot against the glass, rejecting a great look on the doorstep of the rim.

That anticipatory piece is what makes you dream big about his defensive potential. Sarr can already drag opposing offenses into the mud with his point-of-attack defense and flood the middle of the floor off the ball, gumming up gaps and passing lanes. If he takes another step forward as a anchor along the back line and becomes a true deterrent in the most valuable real estate on the floor, he becomes the ultimate mesh WiFi for Duke’s defense: covering every single inch.

Transition Scoring

According to CBB Analytics, 27.9 percent of Sarr’s total points last season came on fast breaks, which ranked in the 95th percentile nationally for his position group. Given his half-court limitations — along with Duke’s personnel and scheme — it made complete sense for Sarr to leak out and hunt transition opportunities as often as possible. Do work before the defense sets up.

Sarr was often at the point of attack atop the defense, backstopped by players like Cam Boozer, Cayden Boozer, Brown and Ngongba, who could serve as outlet passers. Off a turnover or defensive rebound, Sarr would take off, sprinting his way to easy buckets.

Unsurprisingly, the Boozer twins accounted for many of those finds. In fact, no two players assisted Sarr more last season than Cam — an outstanding outlet passer who dished out 19 assists to Sarr — and Cayden, who added 16. Combined, the twins set up 35 of Sarr’s 84 field goals, an impressive 41.7 percent.

Much like a speedy wide receiver running a fly route, Sarr has a knack for getting behind the defense. However, he doesn’t always cash in. Part of that stems from his handle; the rest is simply a matter of developing better poise and comfort in the open floor.

As dangerous as Sarr can be on the break, his lack of a reliable handle, functional upper-body strength to absorb contact, and wiggle hindered him as an open-court driver last season. Watch Boozer hit Sarr with an outlet pass against Cal: Sarr has room to operate with only one defender to beat, 6-foot-3 point guard Justin Pippen. But Sarr never attempts to cross over or change direction; he simply dribbles straight into the defender, gets too deep, stalls between counters and gets his shot blocked.

This is a ridiculous outlet from Cam Boozer. After grabbing a rebound against UNC, he turns and snaps a pass from Duke’s restricted area all the way to the opposite 3-point line, hitting Sarr in stride with no defender between him and the basket. This should be a simple catch, one-dribble and dunk for Sarr as his long strides chew up the court. Instead, Sarr takes three steps without dribbling and gets whistled for a travel.

He’s close to becoming an even more efficient transition target, but Sarr will need to clean up some of these miscues in advantage situations.

Cut Game

During his time with Barcelona’s senior team, Sarr displayed great feel and technique as a cutter. That instinct translated to Durham, where he consistently knew when to make his move rather than standing stagnant on the perimeter waiting for a kick-out pass. Instead, Sarr stays active, turning unscripted reads into high-percentage looks around the basket.

As the Blue Devils looked for ways to involve the lower-usage wing in the half court, they tapped into this aspect of his game. While Sarr functioned primarily as a spot-up threat, cutting was a tool to get him moving and turn him into a rim-pressure threat.

According to CBB Analytics, the average distance on Sarr’s 2-point attempts was just 4.0 feet, ranking in the 94th percentile nationally. The only two Duke players with a shorter average distance were the team’s centers: Ngongba (3.3 feet) and Brown (2.3 feet).

In Chapel Hill, Duke runs its “L” series into 5-out offense, with Ngongba initiating from the high post. This split action has become a signature 5-out look for Duke and Scheyer: Sarr lifts out of the left corner looking like he’ll set a flare screen for Evans — only to slip it and capitalize on UNC’s off-ball switch. When both defenders flock to Evans (thanks to his off-ball gravity), Sarr cuts free toward the rim, and Ngongba hits him right in the seam for an easy dunk.

With more of the offense set to funnel through Ngongba, this connection should feature heavily in Duke’s half-court package next season, especially as the two prepare for their second year together. John Blackwell’s 3-point gravity could prove to be an important unlock in these looks, pulling defenders away from the cut — like Evans last season. This should also be a boon for freshman forward Cam Williams, another rangy athlete who can attack lifted defenses with basket cuts.

Here’s a similar setup against Wake Forest: Ngongba initiates in 5-out with Sarr and Evans spaced to the right wing. Sarr sets the flare screen and Wake Forest switches, putting Myles Colvin on Sarr. After the switch, Colvin face-guards Sarr, perhaps anticipating a DHO between Ngongba and Sarr. Instead, Sarr cuts straight down the slot, and Ngongba hits him in stride to draw a shooting foul at the rim.

Ngongba is one of several talented frontcourt passers on the roster, which is notable given how central face-up passing is to the 5-out and pinch-post concepts in Duke’s half-court offense. Despite the departures of Boozer and Brown — two exceptional passing bigs — Duke remains loaded in this department with Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje, Drew Scharnowski and Maxime Meyer joining the program.

Sarr’s work as a cutter is another area where added muscle will pay dividends: interior finishing. He has great length, reliable hands and a knack for slipping into open pockets of space, but he struggled to finish through contact last season.

On this ACC Tournament possession against FSU, Duke attacks with a small-ball lineup and inverted action, featuring Cam Boozer as a nominal 5 initiating the offense at point center. With three wings dotting the arc, Sarr starts near the left dunker spot as Duke looks to flatten out the defense and create driving lanes for Boozer.

Boozer turns the corner, forcing Martin Somerville (1) to leave Sarr and help on the downhill drive. Sarr is wide open in the dunker spot, and Boozer makes the correct read by hitting his uncovered teammate. This would be an uncontested look if not for Kobe MaGee (5) rotating down from Nik Khamenia in the right corner. The 6-foot-5 MaGee displays strong two-handed verticality, but Sarr shows very little pop as he struggles to finish over the shorter defender.

Per CBB Analytics, Sarr shot 57.4 percent at the rim this season, which ranked in the 45th percentile nationally. He also drew just 1.1 shooting fouls per 40 minutes. These are the types of plays Sarr needs to finish with more force. There is low-hanging fruit here, and if Sarr amps up his physicality and finishing package around the hoop, he can quickly boost those numbers.

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Spot-up Shooting

The geometry of the college game differs from the NBA, where the corner 3-pointer helped spark a revolution over the last decade-plus. In college hoops, there isn’t the same distance gap between the top of the key and the corner as there is at the professional level.

However, even if the college arc doesn’t offer the exact same exploitable inefficiency as the NBA line, it’s still closer, and thus an empirically easier shot. Plus, smart offenses like Duke occupy the corners with shooters to maximize space in the half court. The Blue Devils ranked in the 98th percentile as a team in terms of corner 3-point frequency: 14.3 percent of their total field goal attempts were of the corner 3 variety.

This is where Sarr was frequently stationed as a freshman: working the corners. With nearly 64 percent of his overall shot attempts coming from beyond the arc, Sarr hit 32.3 percent from deep while launching 8.9 3-point attempts per 100 possessions.

As I noted last season, Sarr exhibited stark 3-point shooting splits between the corners and above the break. During his freshman year, Sarr shot 34-of-83 (41 3P%) on corner 3-pointers, per CBB Analytics. Those looks accounted for 39.9 percent of his total field-goal attempts, placing him in the 99th percentile nationally.

By comparison, 24.0 percent of his total attempts came from non-corner 3-pointers (25th percentile), where he connected on just 18 percent (9-of-50 3PA).

Context is crucial here, and statistical noise likely explains some of this variance. Still, Sarr displayed far greater confidence and efficiency on the shorter attempts. Beyond 25 feet, he managed just 4-of-13 shooting from deep, per CBB Analytics.

His free throw shooting is more concerning, though. Just as he did during his final season at Barcelona, Sarr struggled from the stripe, shooting 53.2 percent (33-of-62). That’s worrisome in terms of projecting his touch, but mechanical improvements to his release and base offer genuine reasons for optimism regarding his spot-up shooting.

This was something I mentioned in my pre-Duke scouting report of Sarr, he had a habit of knocking his knees together when shooting off the catch. Without a strong, stable base, shot mechanics can break down quickly, leading to off-balance attempts and wobbly landings.

For example, look at this frame of Sarr competing for Italy at the U18 EuroBasket two years ago: both knees bend inward as he enters his gather.

A year later at Barcelona, Sarr showed clear progress in 2025 by improving his base strength and balance. That said, there were moments when his knees would bow inward.

Credit goes to Duke’s staff, Sarr, another coach or all the above, because he made major strides with his lower-body mechanics and base as a 3-point shooter this past season.

As a result, Sarr shot a pretty good ball off the catch, especially from the corners, where the improved process allowed Sarr to cleanly get into his motion off slight movement.

While many of Sarr’s 3-point attempts come on stationary spot-ups, he’s flashed good relocation instincts — hustling his way into high-value catch-and-shoot looks.

Here, after a Brown offensive rebound, Pittsburgh’s defense is scrambled. As Evans drives to the rim, the Panthers collapse on both the ball and Cam Boozer cutting through the paint. An opportunistic Sarr capitalizes immediately, relocating from the top of the key to the right corner for a wide-open kick-out 3.

Sarr hasn’t shown much comfort or smoothness shooting off hard movement; he still needs time, space and his feet set to get catch-and-shoot jumpers off cleanly. We’ll see if that expands next season, but for now: static spot-up looks will continue to dominate his 3-point portfolio.

Catch and Go

If Sarr makes even a modest leap as a spot-up shooter and plays with more physicality as a finisher, he has the potential to be a menace as a catch-and-go slasher. Given his length and quickness, Sarr should consistently put pressure on the rim against hard closeouts and tilted defenses.

On this possessional NC State, Matt Able (3) takes an undisciplined approach, as the threat of Sarr’s corner three forces a wild closeout. With Boozer sealing Ven-Allen Lubin (22), Sarr gets a clear lane to the basket and explodes to the rim so quickly that Paul McNeil (2) doesn’t even have time to load up and contest.

However, the inconsistencies with his drives and the struggles of playing with force and powering through contact limit some of his vertical pop and finishing around the basket. If that weak-side contest comes from a better defender, and Sarr doesn’t have a clear path to the cup, the process can go sideways.

Arkansas wing Billy Richmond is an athletic freak and a demon on defense. From a Horns set, Sarr receives a kick-out from Cayden Boozer and skates past a poor closeout from Darius Acuff. Instead of powering up to dunk over Richmond, who rotates off Khamenia in the weak-side corner, Sarr angles his body and tries to get the ball up on the glass, opening up a portal for Richmond to swat the attempt.Despite his struggles, Sarr still showed promising flashes, using his combination of balance, guile and long limbs to finish in traffic.

Duke runs a designed post-up for Cam Boozer out of its “L” series against Kansas. The Jayhawks double Boozer and are forced into rotation when he skips the ball to the weak-side corner. Just as Duke’s staff drills, Darren Harris makes the extra swing pass to Sarr on the wing. Sarr attacks the closeout, displaces Melvin Council Jr. (14) as he gets downhill into the paint and plays through the contact to convert the layup.

(According to my charting data, though, this was Sarr’s only and-one finish last season.)

Sarr didn’t receive many live-ball passing opportunities as a freshman, but these catch-and-go moments opened up a few windows.

The Blue Devils flow into their secondary offense out of a drag ball screen between Boozer and Brown. As Syracuse puts two defenders on the ball, Sarr lifts along the right wing. Boozer kicks, and Sarr slashes. With his drive pulling in multiple defenders, Sarr spots Khamenia in the weak-side corner and delivers an accurate skip pass right into his hands for a corner-pocket 3.

Again, there’s still work to be done here, but the flashes — when combined with Sarr’s frame and competitiveness — are worth betting on. Duke’s roster features plenty of ball handlers for next season, including Foster, Blackwell, Boozer, Deron Rippey Jr. and Bryson Howard, alongside several frontcourt playmaking hubs in Ngongba, Scharnowski and Boumtje-Boumtje. While Sarr needs to step into more on-ball reps, these catch-and-go looks present a solid foundation for his development.

Offensive Initiation

Sarr is an outstanding defender with good positional size/length. If he can continue to build strength while refining the fluidity of his spot-up 3-pointer and free throw stroke, he’ll remain a high-value piece for Scheyer and solidify his status as a legit NBA 3-and-D prospect. However, the area of his game with the most room for growth is his on-ball shot creation and playmaking

As a freshman, Sarr was deployed primarily as an off-ball spacer: a role that yielded a modest 15 percent usage rate and largely tasked him with finishing sequences initiated by others:

• Sarr averaged 3.2 unassisted points per 40 minutes (11th percentile)

• 77.4% of total FGM were assisted (91st percentile)

• 56.1% of 2PM were assisted (92nd percentile)

• 51.4% of rim 2PM were assisted (83rd percentile)

According to my charting data, Sarr made just a single unassisted 3-pointer last season: an isolation step-back against TCU in the NCAA Tournament (rather than off a pick-and-roll). To say this shot was out of character would be an understatement, but the move itself was filthy, creating effortless space for the step-back.

This profile aligns with his previous role with Barcelona’s senior team. Sarr has been molded into a 3-and-D wing — anchored by elite defense and complemented by occasional glimpses of live-ball creation. He doesn’t need to take flight as a lead ball handler this season; that isn’t in the cards, barring an outlier developmental leap.

That said, his mix of size, athleticism and off-beat driving verve provides the template for a player who can do more with the ball. Expect opportunities for Sarr to operate as a secondary creator and second-side ball handler in Duke’s offense this season. The Blue Devils can simplifying things, too, by designing looks that involve a ball screen and a quick 1-2 read, like this zone possession vs. Florida State.

Extra reps will certainly help, but for Sarr to make a real leap, that added strength needs to translate into finishing through contact and absorbing bumps at the rim.

He looked stiff and upright at times with the ball in his hands last season, leading to awkward drives downhill where he struggled to navigate tight lanes and absorb contact. Occasionally, it feels like Sarr tries to avoid his weakest tendencies in advance, but he doesn’t quite have the handle in space to pull it off.

However, when Sarr plays loose and poised, there’s a funk and creativity to his playmaking package.

Late in the shot clock against St. John’s, Sarr dribbles right off a screen from Boozer to draw a switch. Ruben Prey (17) is a capable perimeter defender for a big, but Sarr still turns the corner on the 6-foot-10 Prey. As Sarr drives, Brown tries to shield Zuby Ejiofor (24) on a deep seal. Ejiofor swims around Brown’s screen to contest Sarr — pulling a second defender to the ball and leaving Brown open at the rim. Falling out of bounds, Sarr lofts up what appears to be a wild, desperate shot attempt; instead, it’s a crafty lob pass back to Brown, who draws a foul on the cut finish.

In their NCAA Tournament matchup against UConn, Cam Boozer sets a down screen for Sarr in the middle of the floor, then immediately lifts to set a step-up ball screen. UConn’s defense is in sound position: Tarris Reed (5) drops in coverage, Alex Karaban (11) digs into the gap to Sarr’s right and Solo Ball (1) fights over the screen to pursue from behind.

Early in the game, though, Sarr actively looks to challenge the defense with the ball. He uses a right-hand hang dribble that carries him deeper into the paint, putting direct pressure on Reed’s drop coverage: either commit more attention to Sarr and open up Boozer on the roll, or stick to Boozer and expose the rim for a driving finish. Reed tries to stunt at Sarr and recover to Boozer, but Sarr stays aggressive and goes straight to the hoop.

This isn’t a super explosive, above-the-rim finish from Sarr, which provides a snapshot of where he stood as a pick-and-roll driver last season. According to my charting data, this was one of only two unassisted rim finishes Sarr generated out of the pick-and-roll all year. If not for Reed vacating the lane, this attempt likely gets squashed, but here, it gets the job done here despite only a token contest from Karaban.

On this possession against UNC, Sarr starts out by setting an inverted ball screen for Cam Boozer. Jarin Stevenson (15) contains Boozer’s drive, forcing a reset to Sarr at the top of the key. Working out of flow, Brown lifts up to slip a ball screen for Sarr, who drives left with Henri Veesaar (13) in drop coverage.

With UNC’s defense loaded to that side of the floor and Sarr offering little threat as a pull-up shooter, Veesaar should stay home on Brown’s roll. That’s not what happens, though. As Sarr approaches the paint, Veesaar gets antsy and shades toward the ball. On the back side, there’s no tag from Seth Trimble (7) and Brown has a clean runway to the rim — allowing Sarr to take advantage and loft an easy lob finish.

These flashes of poise and manipulation against drop coverage suggest there is untapped upside for Sarr with the ball. They also highlight clear growth in his pick-and-roll decision-making compared to earlier in the season.

Moreover, there were a couple of occasions last season where Sarr took advantage of scrambled defenses, getting downhill on pick-and-rolls or dribble-handoffs following an offensive rebound. For instance, this rim finish is set up and assisted by Boozer, with Ngongba providing an additional seal in the lane, but Sarr shows a bit more burst on his path to the rim.

After an offensive rebound by Ngongba, Duke resets into an empty-side pick-and-roll with Sarr as the initiator. Donnie Freeman (1) does a poor job hedging out, allowing Sarr to glide past the screen defender and turn the corner downhill. William Kyle (42), an excellent rim protector, rotates over to contest, but Sarr has inside leverage with a good angle and explodes to the rim for the layup.

Close It Out

Dame Sarr’s primary value proposition lies in his game-changing defensive profile. At 6-foot-8 with a near 7-foot wingspan, Sarr established himself as one of college basketball’s premier defenders as a freshman, comfortably guarding positions 1-4. His lateral quickness, screen navigation skills and motor help him to neutralize top-tier creators, while his instincts as a help defender — highlighted by peel switches, gap help and rim protection — make him an all-court defensive talent.

Offensively, Sarr thrives in a low-usage, high-efficiency roles. However, he could scale his game up next season. Sarr excels in the open floor and displays a good feel for finding open pockets as a cutter in Duke’s 5-out offense. While his free throw percentages present concerns as an indicator of touch, Sarr proved to be a reliable spot-up option from the corners (41 3P%) after making notable mechanics-based improvements to his release.

To fully unlock his ceiling and expand beyond a 3-and-D archetype, though, Sarr’s immediate focus must be physical development and on-ball growth. Adding upper body strength will improve his finishing through contact (57.4 FG% at the rim) and allow him to convert downhill catch-and-go drives more consistently.

If Sarr can refine his handle and build off his flashes of live-ball playmaking, he has the tools to evolve into an elite high-major force and bolster his status as an NBA prospect.

The do-it-all, playmaking 4 is a staple of Duke basketball. While the prevalence of that positional archetype became standard under Mike Krzyzewski, it has evolved during the Jon Scheyer era. With a stylish 5-out offense, the Blue Devils feature and maximize their talented 4s and 5s: Kyle Filipowski, Cooper Flagg, Cameron Boozer, Maliq Brown and Patrick Ngongba.

Now, with an April 2026 commitment, Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje has a chance to become the next link in that chain.

Sections of Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje scouting report:

• Athletic Profile and Positional Fit

• Moving Without The Ball: Half-court Cutter

• An Open Floor Plan: Transition Game

• 3-point Shooting: The Jumper

• Fanning Out: Pick-and-Pops

• Trail Head: Passing On The Break

• The Takeoff: Catch and Go

• On-ball Scoring and Pull-up Shooting

• Live-Ball Passing

• Post Game: Scoring and High-Post Passing

• Defensive Versatility

Athletic Profile and Positional Fit

At 7-foot, 230 pounds, Boumtje-Boumtje has tremendous size and mobility, though he isn’t a particularly springy or explosive athlete. He’s more of a glider, using long strides and his wingspan to make plays on both ends of the floor.

While Boumtje-Boumtje is somewhat slender right now, he’s fairly well filled out and has the frame to add strength. He also doesn’t lack physicality or shy away from contact, whether slashing to the rim, sealing in the post or crashing the defensive glass. There are possessions where he shows strong absorption as a driver, which complements his length and overall skill set.

The most appealing aspect of Boumtje-Boumtje’s game is his combination of size and movement. That’s the primary reason to buy into his long-term upside. He’s coordinated, with solid footwork and balance, which he pairs with good offensive feel — as a frontcourt creator.

At the moment, the southpaw relies heavily on his left hand for both ball-handling and finishing, which isn’t surprising given his age. This will require development, but it’s relatively low-hanging fruit. While his trajectory is progressing quickly, with Boumtje-Boumtje eligible for the 2028 NBA Draft, he has two years to refine his game. Patience and sustainability should be the focus; as he transitions to college basketball, he’ll need to adapt and scale his game to a more physical style against older competition.

This creates an interesting opportunity for Duke and its developmental staff. Can Duke become the first program to truly foster multi-year growth for a reclassifying prospect? Jayden Quaintance remains one of the top center prospects for the 2026 NBA Draft despite appearing in just 28 games across two college seasons due to injuries. But while his college career never fully took off, it was also split between two programs: Arizona State and Kentucky.

JBB is often labeled a positional tweener, caught between power forward and center. However, he projects more clearly as a full-time 4 who could eventually log minutes as a small-ball 5. He doesn’t possess the above-the-rim explosiveness to anchor a defense as a solo rim protector and dominant rebounder.

Offensively, he doesn’t fill the traditional role of a 5, either. He played the 4 in Barcelona’s system, alongside talented centers such as UNC commit Sayon Keita, Mohamed Dabone (one of the top international prospects), Abdrahamane Kone and Mohamed Namakan Keita. JBB doesn’t operate out of the dunker spot or consistently rim-run after setting ball screens. Instead, he prefers to pop into space along the slots and wings.

If anything, that profile makes him a natural fit as a jumbo playmaker in Duke’s system. He can function as a trailer in Duke’s secondary break, then initiate offense as the team flows into its sets. JBB is well-suited to run 4-5 pick-and-roll, come off down screens, facilitate from the high post and space the floor as a pick-and-pop threat.

Moving Without The Ball: Half-court Cutter

A significant portion of Boumtje-Boumtje’s upside is tied to his ability to create with the ball in his hands. That said, as he works to scale his game within Duke’s system — particularly in a crowded, ultra-talented frontcourt — he’ll also need to thrive off the ball. JBB posted a massive usage rate of just under 29 percent this season across all competitions with Barcelona’s junior teams, per RealGM, emerging as one of the primary go-to scorers in Spain’s Liga U.

Assuming he remains in Durham for the 2027-28 season, JBB could approach that level of usage as a de facto sophomore. In the meantime, it’s important that he lean into being a downhill finisher off movement, operating as a half-court cutter and running the floor in transition.

On this possession, Barcelona plays through Dabone in the right slot, with a low split action in the strong-side corner. Boumtje-Boumtje starts in the right corner. As Dabone turns to face, Nikola Kusturica — a highly regarded wing prospect in Barcelona’s system, one that every high-major program in the country should be after — cuts toward JBB. Just before Kusturica can set a down screen, the two split in opposite directions. Boumtje-Boumtje cuts backdoor along the baseline, and Dabone finds him for a reverse layup.

Those half-court cuts can also open passing opportunities for Boumtje-Boumtje. He has a strong feel for pace, moving without the ball and advancing it ahead of the defense’s rotations.

Here, JBB cuts to the right short corner against Real Madrid’s zone. As soon as he receives the entry pass, he immediately looks opposite and fires a skip pass over the top. While it doesn’t lead directly to a shot, it creates an advantage and puts the defense into rotation — eventually producing an open spot-up look from the left wing.

Duke is loaded in the backcourt, but the Blue Devils are poised to run much of their offense through Ngongba next season. He’s already one of the most talented passing big men in the country, whether operating from the low post or initiating at the top of the key. A healthier, better-conditioned version of Ngongba — with another offseason of development — should emerge as one of the premier half-court hubs in Division I hoops.

As Cam Williams and Boumtje-Boumtje look to build chemistry with Ngongba, they’ll find success if they cut hard in Duke’s split actions, get on the offensive glass and run the floor.

Early against Stanford, Duke flashes Ngongba to the pinch post and has Boozer set a flare screen for Isaiah Evans, with the weak-side corner emptied following Dame Sarr’s cut. Evans draws two defenders to the empty side, allowing Boozer to slip to the basket for a layup off a sharp read from Ngongba.

Next season, Duke will rely heavily on John Blackwell’s 3-point gravity to open up these types of cuts, which benefit JBB and Williams.

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An Open Floor Plan: Transition Game

Boumtje-Boumtje is also an opportunistic transition player. He looks to get out and run, and in the open floor his long strides make him a quality finisher on the break.

After an impressive back-line steal from Kusturica, JBB sprints the floor and finishes the play, punctuating a rim-to-rim fast break with just one dribble. Dabone initiates the thrust up the court with a well-timed hit-ahead bounce pass.

JBB isn't just a pure finisher in transition; he can also function as a link-up player and connective passer, helping teammates get into high-percentage looks with timely deliveries and strong open-floor vision, as shown in this find against Bayern Munich.

This part of JBB’s game should fit well alongside Sarr, a fellow Barcelona alum and open-floor threat, as well as guards like Caleb Foster, the turbo-charged Deron Rippey Jr. and Cayden Boozer — a pacey transition player and skilled hit-ahead passer. That group is complemented by athletic rim-runners Williams and Drew Scharnowski (44 dunks, 75.2% FG at the rim), both of whom can finish above the rim. Sarr and Sebastian Wilkins also provided athleticism and transition pop as two big wings on the roster.

On this transition opportunity, Boumtje-Boumtje establishes early post position, spins into the paint against a cross-match and finds Kusturica on a delayed cut.

Duke’s defense projects as an elite unit next season. According to Bart Torvik’s 2027 model, the Blue Devils are projected as the No. 2 defense in the country. Deflections, steals and long rebounds should all serve as a green light for instant offense in transition.

The 7-foot Boumtje-Boumtje presents another intriguing option who should be able to provide some positive impact.

3-point Shooting: The Jumper

For a big man prospect, Boumtje-Boumtje already shows a fairly advanced catch-and-shoot jumper. He profiles as a positive stretch option in the frontcourt, with the ability to score from both deep and midrange.

It’s a basketball cliche to praise the aesthetics of a lefty’s jumper, but his upside goes beyond visual appeal. There’s real fluidity to his shot as he takes the ball on the catch and flows into his gather. JBB doesn’t have a hitch; he moves cleanly into his jumper, finishing with a wrist snap and a high release that allows him to get it off over contests.

According to RealGM, Boumtje-Boumtje shot 32.8 percent from beyond the arc in the 2025-26 season (40-of-122 3PA) across all competition, while attempting 4.1 3s per game (7.1 3PA per 40 minutes).

Like any young shooter preparing for a jump in competition, Boumtje-Boumtje will need to continue honing his shooting motion, streamlining it for efficiency and speed. This becomes especially important for spot-up and pick-and-pop shooters as the defenders and defensive schemes they face grow bigger and more complex.

JBB shows some intriguing shot-making tools, including a step-back from the corner on this possession, but he's forced to work off the dribble because he doesn't quite have the confidence to get the initial spot-up look off against a closeout.

To be clear, this is more of a marginal adjustment than an existential one. JBB has a quick, feathery release off the catch, but he played on loaded Barcelona junior teams this season, often matched against smaller defenders. Those physical advantages will shrink when he faces veteran high-major athletes, so the more compact his release is against high-level contests, the better.

There’s plenty of versatility to his shot-making, too. He isn’t strictly a spot-up three-point shooter. Boumtje-Boumtje can be used as a target off down screens and handoffs, and his game also features midrange touch.

Boumtje-Boumtje runs a pick-and-roll at the top of the floor against Real Madrid. After the defense switches, he gives up the ball, then relocates, gets it back and knocks down a tough step-back midrange jumper late in the shot clock.

JBB is also advanced in his ability to shoot off movement, especially for a 7-footer: down screens, flares or dribble handoffs. There just aren’t many players at his size, particularly at his age, who can do this type of work with pace and fluidity coming off pindowns.

(Note: I love this play design from Barcelona. It’s a great use of the “Iverson” cut as a decoy to set up “Elevator Door” action to the left wing for JBB.)

On this possession, Barcelona initially appears set to run “Flex” action, with Boumtje-Boumtje setting a baseline screen for Kusturica from the left corner.

Instead of cutting along the baseline off JBB's Flex screen, Kusturica lifts to the left wing, curling off a down screen set by the Chapel Hill-bound Keita. After Kusturica's rejection, JBB sprints to the right side of the floor, running off a wide pindown.

With his defender stuck on the down screen, JBB comes off flat, squares his feet and shifts directly into his motion. This is a strong display of movement shooting from Boumtje-Boumtje, and it’s a reminder that defensive 4s are often not the most effective at chasing players around screens in off-ball actions.

After an offensive rebound for Joventut Badalona, JBB sprints to the corner and becomes a kick-out option out of a random handoff against a scrambled defense. He flows right into his jumper and drills the triple.

An added reason for optimism: JBB reinforces belief in his long-range shooting potential with a strong free-throw percentage — 78.2 percent from the line — an important indicator of shooting touch.

Fanning Out: Pick-and-Pops

With his ability to shoot off the catch, Barcelona used Boumtje-Boumtje in a variety of pick-and-pop actions this season, especially out of “Horns” or “3 Across” sets. The pop is a simple but effective way to create half-court advantages — particularly early in the shot clock — and get JBB into space above the break, where he can look for his jumper.

Late in the first half against Real Madrid, JBB gets a clean look on the pop out of Barcelona’s “3 Across” set, with three players spaced along the baseline and the 1 and 4 working ball-screen action in the middle third of the floor.

Once again, Boumtje-Boumtje is comfortable shooting off slight movement, and he can really stress matchups when defenses choose not to switch these screens.

This action type is en vogue right now. “3 Across” has become a popular series in college basketball, especially as several high-major programs lean more heavily into double-big lineups. In fact, here’s an after-timeout possession for Duke at Louisville, with the Blue Devils going to 3 Across to get Boozer a 3-pointer. Foster draws two defenders and finds Boozer for a pop 3 in the slot.

You can expect the Blue Devils to get into these ball-screen actions out of 3 Across with a variety of combinations from their frontcourt rotation.

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Trail Head: Passing On The Break

The stretch elements of JBB’s game — pick-and-pops and trail possessions — enhance his fit alongside a 5 who likes to rim-run, post up or both. JBB can help create spacing in double drag actions, where he sets the first ball screen and pops while the 5 sets the second screen and dives, or in hi-lo sets, where he pops and the 5 seals inside for position.

These hi-lo actions allow JBB to build or maintain advantages as a connective passer, syncing up with the five on quick hitters that punish rotating defenses.

With a strong seal from Kone, Boumtje-Boumtje sees a window and delivers a slick bounce pass on the hi-lo entry.

This is another way Duke can blend and generate synergy from its frontcourt combinations. The Blue Devils used a lot of hi-lo action in the 2025-26 season — an obvious fast track for offense given the collective passing talent of Boozer, Ngongba and Brown, including out of secondary break.

Boozer proved to be the perfect trail man in these scenarios, drawing defenders with his three-point gravity and linking up with Ngongba and Brown. It’s premature to compare JBB to Boozer, an incredibly skilled and physically developed prospect even before arriving in Durham. That said, Boumtje-Boumtje should still be able to find success along similar pathways within Duke’s system.

The Takeoff: Catch and Go

Whether off pick-and-pops, curls around down screens or spacing outside the action, the gravity JBB generates with his jumper creates catch-and-go opportunities against closeouts and rotating defenses.

JBB can cover ground with long strides and smooth, polished footwork in these situations, but his catch-and-go drives also unlock some of his best moments playing with force.

Of the games I charted, this is one of my favorite drives from Boumtje-Boumtje. He gains baseline leverage with a quick first step, then uses his right shoulder to carve his way to the rim — absorbing contact and finishing through it for an and-one layup.

Barcelona goes to more pop action for JBB out of 3 Across. Off the catch, he attacks the feet of the Madrid big man scrambling to close out. With his defender backpedaling, Boumtje-Boumtje drives downhill, uses a half-spin to create separation and finishes with his left hand for another and-one.

On-ball Scoring and Pull-up Shooting

This is where Boumtje-Boumtje has a chance to become a special prospect: can he continue to grow as an on-ball creator? He already has the tools to elevate an offense as a play finisher, connective passer and tertiary facilitator. However, his skill set is diverse enough to suggest a pathway toward driving offense through live-ball creation.

Boumtje-Boumtje doesn’t necessarily need a ball screen to initiate, though his isolation game remains somewhat limited. He prefers to drive left or get to his jumper when pushed right. It’s a work in progress, but he can create separation with his handle, including on step-back attempts.

Real Madrid’s defense disrupts the initial ball-screen action as JBB initiates the possession for Barcelona. When the ball cycles back to him, he goes to work and creates space with a snappy step-back dribble.

It’s also encouraging when JBB leans into his physicality on these isolated drives. Moves like this don’t show up often, but they’re simmering beneath the surface and could become more prominent as he adds strength. Sequences like this hint at a future where JBB can function as a mismatch weapon: hunting switches, attacking varied matchups and forcing defenses to send help.

Boumtje-Boumtje slips a screen along the left wing, then receives the ball for a more isolated look. Instead of settling for a jumper or trying to beat his man off the dribble, he initiates a “Barkley-style” drive — backing down from the perimeter. With no help coming, he powers his defender into the paint, finishing with an up-and-under move while drawing a foul.

Barcelona also used him coming off down screens in early offense within its “Wide” action. Also known as “Single Away,” this is a 5-out high pindown set by the player at the top of the key for a trailing weak-side guard, wing or big.

After the initial pindown, JBB can catch and flow directly into 4-5 pick-and-roll, including this possession with a step-up ball screen from Dabone. Trento switches the 4-5 action, but matched against the opposing 5, JBB flashes his handle and a bit of wiggle — crossing over and getting downhill with his left hand.

Here's more Wide action for JBB against Real Madrid, again flowing into 4-5 screen-and-roll with a step-up. This time, the opposing 5 plays drop coverage below the level of the screen, allowing Boumtje-Boumtje to dribble into a pull-up elbow jumper.

On this possession against Baskonia-Alves, Boumtje-Boumtje gets another switch. He attacks immediately off the 4-5 ball screen with a crafty in-and-out crossover — using his right hand — to get downhill into a gap before returning to his left for an inside-hand finish.

This is an excellent move from Boumtje-Boumtje, but it also highlights his reliance on his left hand. Long term, the hope is that he can not only finish this drive with his right, but also rise up and punch it home over the top with a dunk.

Against Bayern Munich, JBB gets a middle-third ball screen from Dabone. Munich switches the action, and Boumtje-Boumtje drives right against his new defender. As he gets downhill into the paint, though, he doesn’t create much separation or space. The angle to the basket isn’t great, and when he tries to get back to his left for another inside-hand scoop, he ends up shooting it into the bottom of the rim.

Boumtje-Boumtje isn’t totally opposed to finishing with his right hand. However, he’s less comfortable driving in that direction, which leaves him exposed to digs and swipes at the ball, and he doesn’t finish with the same level of force.

In that same ANGT matchup against Baskonia-Alves, JBB gets an open-floor opportunity along the right flank early in the game. Instead of attacking downhill on a straight line, he veers left into an unnecessary spin before coming back right, where he’s unable to finish through contact.

JBB runs another pick-and-roll with Dabone against Gran Canaria. He has a lane to the rim, but instead of powering through to his right, he opts for a Euro step in the middle of the lane, which gives the opposing center time to rotate over and swat a somewhat soft attempt at the basket.

Defenses will spot and scout these tendencies and look to push him in that direction, steering him toward his right hand. There’s plenty of time for him to develop that side, but it’s worth noting that — at this stage — he struggles going that way when there’s traffic in the paint.

Live-Ball Passing

JBB can be an effective passer when there’s a preexisting advantage, whether in the open floor or on connective reads off the catch. Given his skill set, though, Boumtje-Boumtje also flashes impressive playmaking upside as a primary initiator, operating in pick-and-roll out of Barcelona’s Wide series.

This is one of the traits that adds to his appeal as a screen-and-roll creator. He doesn’t develop tunnel vision with the ball; Boumtje-Boumtje can read defenses, identify openings and find teammates for high-quality looks at the rim. That includes some clever manipulation.

Early against Bayern, Boumtje-Boumtje works a step-up ball screen from the left slot, flowing out of “Wide” action. Munich’s 5 is positioned below the level of the screen but still fairly high — likely to deter the jumper. JBB counters by faking a gather into a shot, drawing the big off his feet and opening up Barcelona’s five on the roll.

Now, his scope as a passer in these ball-screen situations is a bit narrow. With a live dribble, he doesn’t yet show the same all-court vision he displays as a spot-up or post-up/cut passer. That said, JBB’s ability to find his rim-running teammate is notable, especially when he’s able to engage the back-line defender and make — what Jon Scheyer would call — quality “paint decisions.”

Post Game: Scoring and High-Post Passing

JBB doesn’t yet have the brute force to consistently overpower capable post defenders, though he can keep them off balance with a series of fakes and step-through moves. With his speed and length, Boumtje-Boumtje can carve out post position for low-block finishes on hi-lo feeds and quick duck-ins.

Barcelona borrows a page from Matt Painter’s playbook at Purdue and runs a scripted hi-lo action out of a Box set. JBB sets a cross screen to help clear the weak side, then seals in the paint for a lob over the top.

On this end-of-half play, Barcelona generates a hi-lo touch for Boumtje-Boumtje off a roll-replace action from a “3 Across” design. With his defender engaged in the ball screen, JBB is able to establish deep position and seal, creating a passing window. From there, his hands and fundamentals stand out as he snags a tough pass in traffic and keeps the ball high for the finish.

Here’s another after-timeout play against Munich as Barcelona goes to Horns hi-lo action, with Dabone popping and Boumtje-Boumtje sealing in the paint.

Notice, though, that JBB often has to spin off his right shoulder to finish with his left hand on these interior looks. Similar to some of his perimeter limitations, Boumtje-Boumtje can struggle when post defenders force him to his right.

On this post-up off the right block, the Real Madrid defender is physical in denial, preventing JBB from turning middle and getting to his left hand. As a counter, Boumtje-Boumtje spins toward his right, but he doesn’t create much separation and still tries to finish with his left, which gets blocked.

He isn’t automatically drawing double teams when he touches the ball in the post, so Boumtje-Boumtje isn’t yet the type of interior threat who consistently picks defenses apart as a passer, though he did post a 15.5 percent assist rate across all competitions this season, per RealGM. He can, however, function efficiently as a low-post passer within designed actions that feature cutters.

To that end, Barcelona would occasionally run this split-post action with JBB starting on the right block and facing the middle of the floor.

Three off-ball players converge in the middle of the floor. Two of them move in the same direction and loop around one another: one cutting to the rim, while the other, the player who initiated the entry pass, curls back toward the ball off a down screen. It’s a simple read, nothing overly complex, but precision matters, and JBB delivers a timely pass for a layup on the cut.

Barcelona goes to more of a low split action in the right corner on this possession against Trento, with Boumtje-Boumtje now operating from the right elbow. Trento defends the split cut well, but JBB still tries to force the pass, resulting in a turnover.

Duke orchestrates a lot of its offense through the high post, with split cuts, basket slips and flare screens orbiting around the middle hub. That’ll be the domain of Ngongba, in particular, and Scharnowski next season, but given JBB’s size and feel as a passer, expectations should also include some 5-out initiation from the slots, elbows and the top of the key.

Defensive Versatility

This side of the floor is where Boumtje-Boumtje most clearly reinforces his identity as a 4: defense. Modern basketball has embraced a more positionless framework, including decentralized playmaking structures, frontcourt shooting and increased switching schemes, along with more positional cross-matching on defense. While that can blur traditional roles at times, there’s still an old axiom: you are the position you defend. On defense, JBB guards forwards for Barcelona.

Working in concert with his primary assignment, Boumtje-Boumtje doesn’t block a high volume of shots in the traditional big-man sense — stonewalling drivers in drop coverage or rotating as a weak-side rim protector, though he mixes that in from time to time. In those pockets of space, he shows very good awareness and anticipatory skills on this side of the floor.

By the numbers, he was a fairly disruptive defender, leveraging his size and activity to post a 2.4 percent steal rate and a 3.3 percent block rate. As a help defender on the back line, JBB showed the ability to cover ground and complete multiple rotations within a single possession.

He’s most impactful as a team defender when helping in gaps and passing lanes, where he can use his length and anticipation skills to create havoc and force turnovers.

Boumtje-Boumtje is in the gap on this play and slightly overplays trying to get back to his man, forcing him to spin around. Still, he’s able to extend and get his hands on the pass, coming up with the steal and flowing right into a behind-the-back dribble, which leads to a grab-and-go finish on the break.

JBB posted strong rebounding numbers this season, too, but he’ll need to show he can translate that impact against larger, more physical defenders at the college level. At 7 feet, there are plenty of reasons to believe he can make the leap, including his ability to secure contested and out-of-area rebounds. That part of his game feels fairly stable.

There’s also the on-the-ball portion of his defense.

When covering ball screens, JBB was used in a variety of coverages, but switching was his primary look, and that’s likely to remain the case at Duke, though the Blue Devils leaned more heavily on hedging with 4 fours last season, primarily to keep Cam Boozer out of difficult matchups. Boumtje-Boumtje is long, smooth laterally and sturdy enough to switch and contain a range of positional types.

He may struggle against some of the more jittery, twitchy drivers, but he can hang in a variety of matchups and is capable of deterring shots with either hand.

There were plenty of reasons to buy stock in McNeil as a breakout candidate ahead of the 2025-26 season. He brought elite pedigree and a proven track record as a scorer dating back to his prep days. On top of that, the last month of his freshman season — when Kevin Keatts finally inserted him into the rotation — produced a fun bit of small-sample-sized theatre, generating enough encouraging film and statistics to build real buzz.

Former NC State offensive coordinator Adam Howard — now the head coach at Troy — had a clear vision for McNeil: turn the 6-foot-5 sophomore into a prolific, roving movement shooter. With ball handlers like Quadir Copeland, Darrion Williams and Tre Holloman running the show, someone had to excel off the ball to unlock the offense. McNeil delivered in spectacular fashion.

So, what’s next for one of college basketball’s top returnees?

If McNeil simply replicates last season’s production in Year 1 under Justin Gainey, he’ll be a foundational piece for the Wolfpack. But, given his talent and growing experience, McNeil may demand even more as he enters his junior season.

Here’s a look back at what clicked for McNeil during his breakout campaign and what could be on the horizon with another year of growth in an expanded role.

On-Off Splits

Much like his limited freshman campaign, McNeil proved to be an analytics darling as well as a pivotal on-off barometer for the team’s overall success. McNeil ranked fifth in the ACC in EvanMiya’s OBPR metric, trailing only Cameron Boozer, Boopie Miller, Tre Donaldson and Ebuka Okorie. He was also one of just five players in the league to finish with an Offensive Box Plus-Minus of at least +6.0. The other four were all selected in last month’s 2026 NBA Draft, including three Top 17 picks.

• Cameron Boozer, Duke: 12.0

• Caleb Wilson, UNC: 8.2

• Ebuka Okorie, Stanford: 8.0

• Henri Veesaar, UNC: 6.5

• Paul McNeil, NC State: 6.4

With McNeil on the court, NC State was +231 in 972 minutes, outscoring opponents by 14 points per 100 possessions, according to CBB Analytics. During those minutes, the Wolfpack posted an offensive rating of 124.7 points per 100 possessions (97th percentile), an effective field goal percentage of 56.0 percent (93rd percentile) and a turnover rate of just 10.7 percent (99th percentile). NC State also launched 26.8 3-point attempts per 40 minutes with McNeil on the floor (85th percentile), knocking them down at a 39.6 percent clip (98th percentile).

This is the value of a movement shooter like McNeil: a low-mistake threat from deep who protects the ball and bends opposing defenses with his off-ball gravity.

Conversely, when McNeil sat, NC State shot fewer 3-pointers (24.3 3PA per 40 minutes) and hit them at a lower rate (36.7 3P%). The Pack outscored opponents by just four points across 403 minutes with McNeil on the bench, as their offensive rating dropped off a cliff to 111.8 points per 100 possessions.

McNeil’s impact remained sticky across other on-off split categories. Against ACC competition — regular season and tournament combined — NC State was +45 in 604 minutes with McNeil on the floor, compared to -18 when he sat. In those minutes, the Pack scored at a elite clip (120.0 points per 100 possessions) with a net rating of +4.4 per 100 possessions. (As I wrote late in the season, NC State’s late-year slump correlated heavily with a regression on the defensive side of the ball.)

As the team’s primary engine and top source of rim pressure, Copeland emerged as another crucial on-off swing piece. However, even in minutes with Copeland resting and McNeil on the floor, NC State largely stayed afloat: +6 in 246 minutes, behind a 119.2 points per 100 possessions offensive rating and a microscopic 9.3% turnover rate.

Against ACC foes, those specific lineups were hit hard defensively, though, surrendering a staggering 133.1 points per 100 possessions. Even so, the offense held its own at 117.3 points per 100 possessions.

Off Screens

A big piece of McNeil’s value as a shooter stems from his special combination of volume and efficiency. During the 2025-26 season, McNeil was one of only nine high-major players to attempt at least 14 3-pointers per 100 possessions while shooting over 40 percent from deep, joining a elite group of tall snipers like Milan Momcilovic (Iowa State), Tyler Nickel (Vanderbilt), Donovan Atwell (Texas Tech) and Pryce Sandfort (Nebraska).

NC State highlighted that feathery jumper by running McNeil off a steady diet of screens, utilizing him in tried-and-true actions like Floppy, Veer and screen-the-screener sets. According to Synergy Sports, McNeil scored 1.43 points per off-screen possession—the highest mark of any Division I player over the last five seasons (minimum 70 possessions).

Down in Tallahassee, NC State executed a gorgeous 5-out possession against Florida State that resulted in a screen-the-screener setup for McNeil off a Veer down screen from Ven-Allen Lubin. The Wolfpack synchronized their top offensive weapons perfectly: McNeil set a slice screen for Williams heading to the low block while Lubin set a step-up ball screen for Copeland. As Copeland attacked right, Lubin veered left to screen for McNeil, leaving FSU’s defense scrambling in rotation.

McNeil can also amplify post-up possessions with his off-screen movement, allowing the offense to invert itself and generate kick-out 3s.

One of NC State’s most potent offensive packages last season involved split action off Williams’ post touches. Virginia rarely doubled the post, but all five Cavaliers sink toward the paint and have their eyes fixed on the ball. After tossing in an entry pass, Copeland runs in the direction of Sam Lewis (5) and sets a down screen for McNeil.

A generic post-up might seem static or rote, but when paired with crisp off-ball movement and screening actions, the possession comes alive quickly.

Following staggered ball screens to the empty side of the floor for Copeland against Miami, Williams receives an entry pass in the left mid-post to initiate the offense. From there, it’s classic screen-the-screener action: McNeil lifts from the weak-side dunker spot, sets a back screen for Copeland and then flows directly into a down screen from Lubin.

The 6-foot-11 Ernest Udeh (5.8 percent block rate) jumps out at the ball, but McNeil has more than enough vertical pop to rocket off the floor and shoot over the contest with impressive balance and body control.

Depending on defenses, McNeil can snap into different modes. He’s also a proven zone-buster who can inflict damage as a spot-up threat or through designated set plays. Multiple times last season, NC State dialed up a zone-beater set that I like to call “Triple.”

In this action, McNeil starts with the ball at the top of the key, swings it to the left wing (Williams or Copeland) and then drifts to the right wing as the other three players screen. Two players pick the top zone defenders, while the third screener (Alyn Breed) pins the low defender on the weak side.

It’s a brilliant zone concept. The two closest defenders have to navigate through screens just to contest what would otherwise be a wide-open look from deep. Here’s NC State running that exact same set early in the season against UAB.

He’s also a big-time threat in special teams situations, particularly baseline out-of-bounds plays and after-timeout sets. According to my charting data, McNeil knocked down six 3-pointers on BLOB possessions last season — half of which came on a set I call “2 Up.” McNeil triggers the play by inbounding to Copeland at the top of the key, then sprints off staggered down screens from the 5 and 4 to catch on the strong side.

This is a heady off-ball read from McNeil, who recognizes that his defender, Jaron Pierre Jr. (5), is attempting to shoot the gap under the down screens. To counter, McNeil smartly drifts into the open corner.

McNeil naturally exhibits a leg kick on his release when coming off movement, with his right foot extending slightly ahead of his left. At times, however, he exaggerates this motion to draw contact, knowing that trailing defenders will sell out to contest his shot from deep.

McNeil drew 31 shooting fouls last season — 19 of which occurred beyond the arc. According to my charting data, 10 of those 19 fouls on 3-point attempts came while running off screens. That includes this baseline out-of-bounds set against Duke, where McNeil kicks his right leg to draw contact on Nik Khamenia as the defender aggressively chases him around the down-screen.

Pindown Playmaking

I’m curious to see if McNeil can turn these off-ball actions into a little more rim pressure or playmaking next season. When defenders fight over screens, he has the space to attack downhill with his man trailing. There were some really good flashes of this last year. However, he still needs to handle pressure better, absorb contact more effectively, and build a more reliable process for finishing at the rim.

Take this play against Seton Hall: McNeil comes off the screen and does well to curl into the paint. He has a clear path to the rim, but the finish gets clunky once 6-foot-4 AJ Staton-McCray (#14) rotates over and contests with solid verticality.

McNeil recovers his own miss and draws a foul to earn a trip to the line, but these are the types of looks he needs to convert into layups, dunks or direct shooting fouls. If he plays with more force and improves his downhill finishing here, it will not only open up more space beyond the arc, but also provide a steady source of paint touches that elevate the rest of the offense.

When he’s running around the perimeter, McNeil’s off-ball gravity is strong enough to pull even committed drop defenses — like Virginia — out of the paint. He can force a second defender to step up when he’s still 20+ feet from the rim. On this possession, McNeil curls off a screen from Lubin and receives a pass from Williams. Lewis gives chase, while Ugonna Onyenso (33) — typically a drop big — is forced to hedge all the way out toward the arc.

With two defenders on the ball, McNeil makes a quick decision: pocket pass to Lubin on the short roll. Lubin misses the layup against a strong help-side contest from Thijs De Ridder (28), but it’s a quality read from McNeil.

McNeil executes these reads with relative ease and shows some real craft as a playmaker, manipulating defenses to create interior passing lanes for rolling bigs.

Pace and poise are critical in these situations, but McNeil has a tendency to get sped up. Instead of playing off two feet in the paint, he often gets caught in the air and forced into off-kilter passes, which is exactly what happens here against Texas, resulting in an easy pick-six dunk for Dailyn Swain.

There’s plenty to build on here, though, because defenses genuinely respect McNeil’s movement. As NC State looks for ways to generate half-court advantages next season, his off-ball activity will be crucial. If he can consistently turn those down screens into paint touches, it’ll bend defenses, force help rotations and create easy opportunities for others.

Here, NC State opens the possession against Georgia Tech with “Wide” action for McNeil, flowing into 5-out spacing that culminates in a baseline down-screen for P2. McNeil curls the screen tight, using his physicality to shield his trailing defender and pressure the rim. That downhill drive draws in the help defense, leaving Lubin wide open on the roll.

Lubin struggled against Tech and he smokes this layup attempt, but the process from McNeil is good.

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Setting Screens

The best shooters often make the best screeners. McNeil may have a lighter frame, but his off-ball gravity allows him to be a valuable half-court enabler through different screening actions. Moreover, there’s a real willingness from McNeil to set good screens, which in turn helps him get open, too.

Guard-guard pick-and-rolls between Copeland and McNeil were a key feature of NC State’s offense last season. The action created switches or gaps for Copeland to attack downhill, while opening perimeter space for McNeil to relocate into whenever both defenders committed to the ball.

Kansas switched 1 through 5 in their matchup against the Wolfpack, which is how big man Bryson Tiller (15) wound up on McNeil. Before Tiller can settle into the assignment, McNeil sprints out to the left wing. Copeland reads it immediately, and with Tiller lingering in the paint for just a second, McNeil gets off a clean look from deep.

This was one of my favorite set pieces from NC State last season. It’s a dual screen-the-screener action designed to send McNeil flowing into the corner off a flare. The play starts with Williams setting a down screen for McNeil, who lifts to set another guard-guard ball screen for Copeland. McNeil slips the screen as Clemson attempts to show-and-recover — leaving his defender, Ace Buckner (21), scrambling to catch up. As McNeil slips into space, he triggers the next progression: flaring to the left corner off a screen from Lubin.

Once again, an off-ball shooter who doubles as a screener gives you so many ways to scheme up efficient half-court offense. He creates high-value openings without even touching the ball.

Next, NC State runs early-offense “Pistol” action against Pittsburgh: McNeil sets a wing ball screen for Copeland. McNeil’s defender, Macari Moore (21), refuses to switch or hedge, opting to stay glued to McNeil. Because Moore stays attached, Copeland easily turns the corner and drives downhill for a layup.

This is another example of McNeil’s gravity clearing space for Copeland as a driver. While incoming Preston Edmead doesn’t possess Copeland’s size and strength, his quickness and shiftiness should allow him to thrive in these guard-guard actions alongside McNeil and Christian Hammond — another talented off-ball mover and scorer.

McNeil’s impact as a screener translates to off-ball sets as well, particularly against teams that keep their centers attached to their assignments rather than sagging into the paint.

Early in the second half at Clemson, NC State initiates Pistol action through Williams on the left flank following a pass from Copeland. McNeil starts in the opposite dunker spot with Lubin lifted to the top of the key. Clemson center Carter Welling (22) has his back turned to McNeil, hugging up on Lubin near the 3-point arc.

McNeil lifts to set a back screen (“Rip”) on Welling as Lubin cuts toward the rim. McNeil’s defender, Dillon Hunter (2), takes a step toward Lubin on the cut, but McNeil’s presence near the arc quickly pulls him back out of the paint. Williams delivers a clean over-the-top lob to Lubin for an uncontested dunk.

A few minutes later, NC State draws up another look for Lubin to capitalize on a back-screen from McNeil. This set, which I call “3 Across Rip” for NC State, starts with McNeil in the right corner and Lubin in the opposite post. As Copeland dribbles left off a brush screen from Williams, Matt Able (starting in the corner opposite McNeil) cuts baseline.

Able’s cut triggers a secondary cut from McNeil, who glides across the lane and sets another back screen on Clemson’s unsuspecting 5. Copeland swings it to Able, now filling in the right corner, who quickly zips a pass into VAL for a cut layup, courtesy of McNeil’s screen.

Relocation Shooting

If McNeil’s off-screen usage raises his ceiling as a prospect, his spot-up shooting provides the foundation. He excels as a kick-out target, posing a constant threat to help defenders whenever he’s spaced along the perimeter. Smart offenses will maximize his gravity by stationing him where he best frees up driving lanes and basket cuts. At the same time, McNeil is also adept at playing off the ball, using unscripted relocations around the arc to shift defenses and create open windows.

A major pillar of NC State’s offense last season was Copeland’s creative dribble-drive game—a relentless source of paint touches from the point guard spot. Copeland is a high-level freelance driver who uses his size and craft to reach the rim, and McNeil’s gravity as a spacing threat gave Copeland the extra breathing room to operate.

For instance, NC State frequently spaced the floor for Copeland using a double gap on the right side — leaving the wing and strong-side post empty — with McNeil isolated in the strong-side corner while the remaining players spaced or moved on the weak side.

On this possession at Pittsburgh, Able screens for Copeland. McNeil is stationed in the strong-side corner, drawing a defender who is locked into a denial stance — turned away from the ball to deny the pass.

Pitt’s defense gets confused over how to handle the guard-guard action, allowing Copeland to attack open space. With no offensive player on the right wing, there’s no primary help defender to dig or stunt against Copeland’s drive, giving him a clear runway deep into the paint. The only potential helper on that side of the floor is the defender attached to McNeil in the strong-side corner.

As Copeland enters the paint, the low-man defender is put in a classic dilemma: leave the corner to contest Copeland’s drive, or stay attached to McNeil: a 42 percent corner 3-point shooter last season, per CBB Analytics. The defender chooses to stay glued to McNeil, giving Copeland a clear runway to the rim for an and-one finish as his primary defender tries to recover from behind.

If an average 3-point shooter is stashed in the corner, the defenses doesn’t guard like this and Copeland doesn’t have a red carpet right to the rim.

Of course, Copeland is no longer in Raleigh, but there’s now a new mix of guards who could stand to benefit from the extra bit of spacing created from McNeil — in particular, Edmead.

One of the most impressive aspects of McNeil’s scoring approach is how he hunts shots without forcing them. Given his role, McNeil has to stay in constant motion on offense to create separation — a testament to both his conditioning and his feel for the game.

Here against Ole Miss, Copeland initiates the offense with a Barkley-style backdown drive, waiting for the defense to commit help. The moment McNeil’s defender turns his back, McNeil slides across the perimeter from the left slot to the right, presenting a clean kick-out option for an open 3.

According to InStat, McNeil averaged a sizzling 1.13 points per chance on catch-and-shoot opportunities last season.

What stood out most was how much ground McNeil covered on relocations to free himself up. He routinely sprinted into open catch-and-shoot triples simply by committing to run the perimeter, changing sides of the floor to flow directly into kick-out windows.

Take this first bucket from McNeil’s historic 47-point night at Reynolds Coliseum against Texas Southern. With roughly 13 seconds left on the shot clock, McNeil is stationed on the left wing as Copeland attacks a closeout down the right side.

In the span of about 3-4 seconds, McNeil relocates all the way around the arc, running from the left wing to the right corner, where Copeland hits him for another spot-up 3. This is a lot of ground to cover, but McNeil manages to become an outlet for Copeland as he pressures the rim.

Coaches can draw up all kinds of creative sets for shooters like McNeil, but the best movement threats know how to generate looks when those actions break down or the offense is in flow. McNeil’s awareness and high motor make him an elite kick-out option when plays go off-script.

Making The Next Play: Catch-and-Go

He’s quick to give up the ball, keeping the offense moving while cutting and screening all over the floor. However, if he can become a bit more aggressive and creative off the catch, he could unlock an entirely new layer to his secondary playmaking: catch, pump fake, attack downhill, collapse the help, kick it out and immediately relocate.

Alarm bells ring for defenses the second he relocates into open space along the arc. The catch-and-go opportunities will be right there for him, and while he’s shown glimpses of this counter, McNeil still needs to prove he can consistently punish teams when they run him off the line.

He’s flashed the ability to use a pump fake to throw defenders off balance, immediately putting the ball on the deck to get downhill — just like he does here at Auburn. Expanding these attack-closeout looks will be a critical piece of his offensive development next season.

Per CBB Analytics, McNeil converted a 84 percent of his close rim attempts last season. While that efficiency is good, it comes on extremely low volume: less than 8 percent of his total field-goal attempts came at the rim, averaging just one rim attempt per 40 minutes. McNeil’s average 2-point attempt occurred 8.8 feet from the rim last season, per CBB Analytics, the largest number among NC State’s rotation players. Furthermore, he logged only four dunks all season, every single one coming in transition.

Unsurprisingly, McNeil is excellent from the foul line (81.2 FT%), but he seldom earns trips to the stripe. He drew just 0.5 shooting fouls on 2-point attempts per 40 minutes last season, placing him in the 18th percentile nationally among positional peers.

McNeil has reportedly added frame weight this offseason. If that added muscle converts into functional strength, he should be better equipped to absorb contact and finish with more pop around the basket.

Speed up the shot

For a player like McNeil, who does the bulk of his damage catching and shooting, the gather and release mechanics are key swing factors. His standard stroke features a slightly longer release with a dip on the gather — bringing the ball down to waist level before elevating. On static catch-and-shoots, this isn’t an issue, as his natural shooting rhythm remains smooth.

However, it can sometimes create challenges shooting off the dribble on step-back attempts and he looks less comfortable pulling up directly off dribble handoffs (DHOs). In those scenarios, he has a tendency to hesitate to re-square his frame, needing to take an extra beat to set his feet before getting his shot off.

When curling to his right off a DHO, his mechanics can look a bit disjointed, lacking the quick, twitchy gather you’d expect from a shooter of his caliber. That extra beat buys time for the chase defender to fight around the screen, recover to the ball and contest the shot.

McNeil can still hit these looks thanks to his high release point and deep range, but streamlining his footwork and release would help him dodge tougher contests. As he advances to higher levels, he’ll see fewer smaller defenders whom he can simply shoot over the top of.

McNeil can adjust his gather mechanics when he needs to expedite his release. He has the lower-body flexibility to shoot off-axis, contorting his frame to sink tough, contested looks from deep. However, his tendency to land on one foot in these situations raises questions about his energy transfer and shot consistency.

Still, while McNeil is naturally a rhythm shooter, he can speed up his release when the situation demands it. Take this baseline out-of-bounds set against Texas in the NCAA Tournament: NC State sets up in a classic “Triangle” alignment, with McNeil stationed in the middle of the paint to run a screen-the-screener action.

As McNeil slips to the corner off a pindown from Williams, Texas guard Jordan Pope (0) stays attached. McNeil catches Copeland’s pass at chest height, but rather than dipping the ball into his standard gather, he loads quickly and snaps straight into his motion.

The difficulty level on this attempt is absurd, highlighting McNeil’s elite touch as a shot-maker: a no-dip 3 off hard movement against a tough contest. While analysts debate the overall value of no-dip 3s, having this counter in his arsenal — along with the core strength to pull it off — is seriously impressive.

Offensive Initiation

Wade and Howard used McNeil in a fairly narrow role last season: catch and shoot, move without the ball. He initiated very little offense and received only a nominal amount of ball screen opportunities. To his credit, McNeil thrived in that role — turning in arguably the greatest 3-point shooting season in NC State history while elevating his profile as an NBA prospect. However, those structural guardrails are clearly reflected in his stats.

After dropping 19 assists in 208 minutes as a secondary creator during his freshman campaign (20.3 percent assist rate), McNeil dished out just 28 assists across 972 minutes last season (5.2 percent assist rate). In fact, he was one of only 20 high-major players to log at least 60 percent of his team’s minutes while posting an assist rate under 6 percent — a list composed almost exclusively of spot-up specialists and rim-running centers.

McNeil averaged just 6.8 unassisted points per 40 minutes, the lowest mark in the Wolfpack’s regular rotation. Over 78 percent of his 2-point field goals and nearly 85 percent of his 3-pointers were assisted. Copeland served as the primary helper here, assisting on 56 McNeil field goals last season.

These numbers say more about McNeil’s role under Wade than they do about his raw handle or creation potential. With new leadership in Raleigh, one of the primary storylines facing NC State revolves around McNeil’s offensive usage: he’s already a gifted perimeter threat, but can he provide dynamic on-ball creation to a backcourt tasked with replacing key playmakers?

As a driver, McNeil plays somewhat stiff and upright. He lacks the low-slung flexibility and bend to burst past defenders on the perimeter, as well as the functional strength to power through contact to the rim. Consequently, he’s forced to operate in tight quarters above the break. Savvy perimeter defenders — like Duke’s Caleb Foster — can shade his jumper, comfortably anticipating that a step-back counter is coming.

While he occasionally hits an in-between jumper, McNeil has yet to prove himself as a consistent mid-range scorer. After going 11-for-23 on 2-point attempts away from the rim as a freshman, his numbers dipped last season: he converted just 12-of-48 (25 2P%) on non-rim 2-pointers, per CBB Analytics.

Lacking the frame to overpower smaller guards, McNeil has to rely heavily on his handle to generate space. But while his dribble package is creative, it isn’t yet tight enough to break down aggressive, on-ball pressure. Late in the shot clock against Virginia Tech, McNeil fails to create separation on a drive into the heart of the defense, leading to a deflection and a turnover via Ben Hammond.

When he threatens with a downhill drive, especially in cross-matches against opposing bigs, it opens up his step-back game. Here, McNeil uses his twitch and body control to create separation 1-on-1, leaning on his length to take wide side-steps or deep back-pedals for extra room.

If the defender is worried about the pull-back jumper, McNeil can get into his bag a little more and play off the step-back gravity. McNeil has some nice craft as a passer, including these types of live-ball situations in tight spaces.

Whether he’s working off the catch or creating 1-on-1, McNeil touching the paint and generating looks as a passer would be a welcome development.

While his isolation game remains a work in progress, he should see more ball-screen opportunities next season.

The pull-up 3s will be there, but downhill finishing is another area where McNeil needs added strength. While he doesn’t project as an elite rim-creator, his interior finishing must improve. Added muscle would help him power through contact at the cup rather than contorting and throwing up tough attempts.

Other times, though, McNeil flashes more patience and physicality, getting better results out of his ball screens.

Attacking Virginia’s drop defense — anchored here by Johann Grunloh (11.7 percent block rate) — is no small task, but McNeil does a nice job putting Malik Thomas on his hip and keeping him there to drive into the open space. Absorbing a bump from Grunloh, McNeil stays on balance and finishes a tough shot off the glass. This is a big-time play.

From his freshman year against Stanford: McNeil dribbles right off the 5-out Zoom action, snaking downhill against drop coverage. With his defender sealed on his hip, McNeil slinks back into the paint, pulling the opposing 5 away from the rim and leaving Ismael Diouf wide open on the dive.

McNeil boasts soft touch and solid floor vision. With his skillset, there’s genuine reason to believe he can evolve into a plus secondary creator this season. While his connective passing in transition and the half-court is already reliable, taking on a heavier playmaking burden would elevate NC State’s offense and better highlight his versatility for the next level.

The expectation isn’t for McNeil to suddenly transform into an AJ Dybantsa-style power wing, spamming dozens of pick-and-rolls and isolations each night. That’s not his game, nor does it lean into what makes him an intriguing prospect.

Ultimately, McNeil’s primary ticket to the NBA is his 3-point shot, but shooting alone won’t keep him there. Modern NBA defenses rotate too fast, close out too hard and feature far too much athleticism. Pure shooters have to make the next play when run off the line. The task for McNeil is to do more with those opportunities next season.

Rebounding

McNeil’s overall rebounding numbers are mostly ho-hum, though he did crack an 11 percent defensive rebound rate last season. Watching him play, however, reveals solid instincts and a reliable motor on both ends of the glass. He’s particularly clever at crashing from the perimeter to hunt offensive rebounds and put-back opportunities.

On this transition possession, McNeil has inside position and he’s able to snag a contested rebound away from 7-footer Matas Vokietaitis (8), an excellent offensive rebounder (12.2 percent offensive rebound rate).

Driven by his motor, McNeil actively pursues contested and out-of-area rebounds. What he lacks in raw strength, he makes up for with length and activity, making him a valuable secondary rebounder.

On-ball Defense

McNeil will never be a lockdown 1-on-1 defender or point-of-attack stopper. He occasionally opens his top foot, exposing himself to drives and still has to prove he has the lateral quickness to contain twitchier perimeter threats. Physical offensive players can also bump him off his spot, leveraging their strength to push McNeil back and get downhill into the paint.

Projecting his game to the NBA, McNeil will carry a target on his back against physical scorers looking to play bully-ball, regardless of how much he fights in the post (something he showed more of last season).

To his credit, McNeil competes hard on defense; what he lacks in pure strength, he tries to make up for with effort. Another year of development, weight room gains and time in Gainey’s system should only work in his favor.

Here, McNeil defends former Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman at the elbow. Freeman is a talented face-up threat taking advantage of the matchup, but McNeil mirrors his jab-steps well. Even after biting on a late shot-fake, McNeil stays on his hip and contests a tough shot 1-on-1 against a high-level scorer.

On this Spain pick-and-roll possession for Texas, NC State switches 1-5 and ends up with McNeil sliding out on Chendall Weaver (2). McNeil contains the drive and is in a good help potion when the ball is funneled to Vokietaitis in the post.

Offense is clearly his calling card, but McNeil’s willingness to compete on defense goes a long way. With a little more refinement around the edges, he’ll be in an even better position to hold his own across various matchups.

Team Defense

NC State’s defense was mostly a mess last season. It started with a porous transition defense that routinely failed to communicate and work as a unit to prevent easy looks for opponents — even after made shots. This bled into a half-court unit that shuffled through different pick-and-roll coverages and eventually settled on a zone late in the season, when the staff was seemingly throwing ideas at the wall to see what would stick. While the lack of cohesion and structure defined the overall unit, it also masked some of the real growth McNeil showcased on that end.

McNeil isn’t a disruptive defender. His career block and steal rates of 1.6 and 1.3 percent, respectively, are low for a 6-foot-5 guard. However, McNeil plays hard and never quits. It’s obvious he cares and wants to hold his own.

Here, he makes an excellent effort to get back in front of the ball and prevent a layup in transition from Tre White (3).

In Gainey’s system, which should offer greater structure and accountability, perhaps McNeil can tap into more playmaking on this side of the floor, picking up a few more steals and blocks. If possible, nudging his block and steal rates north of two percent would be notable. Pair that with McNeil’s 3-point shooting and now you really have an NBA prospect.

Moreover, he’s made serious strides in his recognition and anticipation, which goes a long way toward making him viable as a team defender.

Texas comes out in a “Box” set on this possession, intending to create a seal and hi-lo action for Vokietaitis. Lubin fronts the post as Vokietaitis seals. For a second, with the defense lifted, there appears to be space for a lob over the top to the big fella. But before Tramon Mark (12) can throw the entry pass, McNeil is on the move, crashing down from the weak-side wing with a quality help rotation.

VIDEO - Paul McNeil Team Defense Steal INT Back Side Lob Coverage Recognition TEX

McNeil’s athleticism takes over after the diagnosis. He intercepts the pass and, like a good college wide receiver, gets one foot down on his landing before saving the ball to Copeland.

During a blowout against Liberty, Holloman gets smoked off the dribble while McNeil is helping on the strong-side corner. As the driver approaches the paint, McNeil does well to peel off and switch on the fly, cutting off the ball while Holloman executes an X-out to the corner shooter.

After an offensive rebound, Wake Forest resets and McNeil must restart things by closing out on Nate Calmese (1). When Cooper Schwieger (13) lifts for a step-up ball screen, NC State is ready to switch: Williams takes Calmese as Schwieger, with inside leverage, slides underneath McNeil. Calmese tries to throw this pass over the top of a taller defender, which forces him to put some air under it, and McNeil is able to recover on the switch and is in position for the interception.

From the outside looking in, McNeil’s motor and competitive drive were evident all season. He was usually in the right spots, but even when he missed an assignment, he fought to make up for it. As McNeil steps into a leadership role as a junior, he’ll need to maintain that energy while finding his voice as a communicator.

The tournament featured a stacked field of both American and international prospects, serving as yet another signal of just how loaded the 2028 NBA Draft is shaping up to be. While the 2027 class projects to be a touch underwhelming, though there will clearly be talent to find, the 2028 cycle projects as a much deeper class, headlined by several prospects with franchise-altering potential.

A new draft lottery format set to roll out next year, and it’ll be crucial for rebuilding and retooling franchises to wisely manage their 2028 draft assets. It’s still early, but the 2029 class projects strongly as well. Regardless, 2028 is a class that teams should want to be heavily invested in, positioning themselves with as much draft capital and as many improved lottery odds as possible.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at several prospects who stood out at the FIBA U17 World Cup, hailing from both Team USA and a deep international pool of players.

• Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje (USA)

• Beckham Black (USA)

• CJ Rosser (USA)

• Jordan Page (USA)

• Cayden Daughtry (USA)

• NaVorro Bowman Jr. (USA)

• Nikola Kusturica (Serbia)

• Nathan Soliman (France)

• Omer Kutluay (Türkiye)

United States

Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje, Forward/Center

Back in May, I wrote a deep-dive scouting report on Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje (so please check that out if you haven’t already). Since the end of his season with Barcelona, JBB has continued to travel the world, dominate his competition and add new pieces to his toolkit.

En route to a team title and the event’s MVP award, JBB enjoyed a smashing success in his debut with Team USA. He averaged 19.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists (9.9 percent assist rate), 2.1 blocks and 1.7 steals per game — all in only 22.8 minutes per contest. His efficiency was on full display as Boumtje-Boumtje put together monster shooting numbers from all over the floor (64 2P%, 53.1 3P% and 88 FT%) while leading the tournament in PER (38.2).

With Team USA running its offense through JBB, the 7-footer scored using a variety of different half-court tactics. He produced from both sides of the pick-and-roll (as a ball-handler and a screen-setter), on spot-ups, designed post-ups, face-up isolations and in 5-out initiation. This included stretches with him operating as the team’s lone center, though he also played significant minutes next to traditional bigs like Erick Dampier Jr.

Boumtje-Boumtje showcased impressive contact absorption on his drives. Instead of going into the bump and flinging a wild shot at the rim to fish for a foul, JBB played with exceptional force and balance. He drove through defenders.

On this possession against Serbia, Boumtje-Boumtje flows into a late pick-and-roll with Dampier, drawing a switch against Petar Bjelica, a talented young big man in KK Mega’s system. JBB leverages the threat of his off-dribble 3-pointer with a subtle right-handed hang dribble that throws Bjelica off balance. That slight lean from the defender is all the space Boumtje-Boumtje needs to get downhill and play through the bump. A weak-side helper rotates over, but JBB explodes upward for a strong finish at the rim.

Whether he’s running off screens or handling in space, opposing bigs tasked with guarding Boumtje-Boumtje must be wary of his 3-ball. JBB is a quick-trigger shooter with deep, effortless range, and that puts enormous pressure on those defenders.

Here, Team USA comes out in a Horns set against Australia, featuring an entry pass to JBB at the elbow while Dampier ducks in for a hi-lo feed. Instead of making the pass, JBB opts to call his own number, hitting a smooth step-back 3-pointer from NBA range.

At the World Cup, JBB posted an outstanding true shooting percentage of 73.7 percent, a remarkable number given his usage and versatile shot selection. When opponents respect his 3-ball, Boumtje-Boumtje excels at rocking and rolling downhill as a slasher.

As Team USA initiates its secondary offense, JBB brings the ball up the floor and catches Australia’s center in a cross-match. The moment the opposing 5 takes a step toward him and puts his hand up, Boumtje-Boumtje is gone. Utilizing another sharp hesitation dribble, JBB gets all the way to the rim, throwing down a dunk over power forward Riak Akhuar (13), who posted an impressive 7.7 percent block rate of his own during the tournament.

The Americans ran a significant amount of 5-out offense through JBB, frequently stationing him at the top of the key in “Delay” sets or in the pinch post. On this play, he showcases 5-out facilitation by delivering a beautiful, off-handed pass on a designed backdoor cut to Beckham Black (12)

When opponents press up or send a second defender in his direction, Boumtje-Boumtje can pick coverages apart with timely passes.

He is a high-level processor with the ball, displaying a comprehensive view of the floor for a 7-footer who just turned 17. JBB pairs this elite vision with the ability to fit the ball into tight windows with touch and accuracy.

Matched up against Cameroon, the United States goes to its “Delay” series with 45-cut action: NaVorro Bowman Jr. (4) cuts through the lane off the right wing, followed immediately by Asa Montgomery (5), a nasty cutter, doing the same off the left wing.

Boumtje-Boumtje looks right, but quickly spins back to his left and hits Montgomery cutting down the seam. He delivers a perfect pass that floats right into the blind spot of the chase defender.

An added benefit of JBB’s feel for the game is his scoring versatility: he simply doesn’t have to force things. Boumtje-Boumtje excels at letting the game come to him, but he can also hustle his way into unscripted points: put-backs, random cuts and transition run-outs.

According to my own charting data from the tournament, JBB registered five dunks in seven games that came as a direct result of his own steals.

His advanced defensive metrics were equally spectacular: a 36.3 percent defensive rebound rate (which led the tournament by a wide margin), 9.1 percent block rate, and 3.4 percent steal rate.

While JBB doesn’t possess elite foot speed, he plays with exceptional instincts and anticipation. At his size, that spatial awareness allows him to generate a high volume of defensive events.

Beckham Black, Point Guard

While Boumtje-Boumtje dominated the frontcourt, 6-foot-3 Beckham Black made a strong claim as the top guard in the tournament. Black is young and athletic, yet he plays an incredibly refined game. There’s a maturity to his approach; between dazzling moments of creativity and elite off-dribble shooting, he effortlessly runs the show for an offense, transitioning from secondary breaks into half-court flow to set teammates up.

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He remains in total control of the offense at all times, thanks to an advanced understanding of tempo and spacing. There’s a distinct unselfishness to his game, too. In his 144 minutes of action, Black dished out 58 assists (8.3 per game) against only nine turnovers (11.4 percent TOV rate), yielding a stellar 6.44-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and a 41.9 percent assist rate. Black racked up a high volume of these dimes in transition, hitting ahead or throwing lobs to JBB, Jordan Page and CJ Rosser.

He also found consistent success pushing early offense, identifying teammates like Montgomery for high-percentage looks before the defense could fully set.

Playing off a live dribble, Black can read multiple lines of defense and manipulate windows with layered passes, hitting open teammates ahead of defensive rotations. He excels at moving defenders with his eyes and ball fakes, subtly looking off opponents to create the openings he wants.

Running offense against Italy, Black and Boumtje-Boumtje initiate a drag screen along the left wing. Italy hedges the action, putting two on the ball against Black. This leaves just one help defender to handle JBB on the roll and Bowman relocating to the left corner. Black perfectly leverages this 2-on-1 scenario, staring down Bowman in the corner and selling a pass fake in his direction.

This gets the low-man defender to leap out toward Bowman, leaving JBB wide open in the paint. Black puts the ball right on the money to Boumtje-Boumtje, leading him perfectly toward the rim for an easy dunk.

The chemistry between Black and JBB was another highlight of the tournament, especially in transition and in the pick-and-roll. Black made life easy for all of his teammates, including Dampier, who feasted on rim runs alongside his star point guard.

Early in the second half of a blowout win against Japan, Black and Dampier engage in a pick-and-roll in the middle third of the floor. Japan’s defense attempts a hard hedge on the screen, but Black counters by rejecting the pick with a nifty left-handed in-and-out dribble. This opens up a clean lane for Dampier, and Black delivers a precise pocket pass that hits the big man in stride for an easy layup — well before the hedging defender can recover back.

Black isn’t just a pick-and-roll merchant. He doesn’t require a ball screen to beat defenders and touch the paint. His mix of sudden burst, strength/contact absorption and crafty handles allows him to get downhill and collapse opposing defenses.

During 2026 FIBA World Cup play, Black posted a stellar 60.8% effective field goal percentage, including 62.2 percent on 2-point attempts and 39.3 percent from 3-point range — with just over 43 percent of his total field goal attempts coming from beyond the arc.

If Black sees drop coverage, he can comfortably let it fly from deep or probe into the paint to access his runner or float game, flashing soft mid-range touch. Alternatively, if a defense switches a ball screen involving Black, that switch had better be crisp; if there’s an inch of daylight, Black will let it fly.

This is special stuff. Black looks like the definitive PG1 for the 2028 draft class. While he’s a truly standout offensive talent, Black can also create havoc on the defensive end. Not only did he post an elite assist-to-turnover ratio, but he also maintained a steal-to-turnover ratio better than 2-to-1, racking up 21 steals to just nine turnovers.

His elite feel for the game translates directly to his defense, allowing him to play with excellent anticipation. He breaks on passes before the action has fully developed without having to constantly gamble. Some of his most impressive steals, however, occurred when on-ball players tried to pass over his head. Black uses his length and quick hands to rise up, deflect the ball and secure the possession for himself.

These types of steals happened repeatedly throughout the tournament and almost always lead to easy transition buckets in the other direction.

CJ Rosser, Wing

As a member of Team USA, CJ Rosser played some of his best basketball to date, averaging 16.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in just 19.3 minutes per game. Rosser shot 51.3 percent from the floor, including 60.9 percent on 2-point attempts and a solid 11-of-30 (36.7 3P%) from deep.

Two of the primary ways the 6-foot-10 forward stood out were his flashes as a team defender, particularly in weak-side rim protection, and his usage in pindown actions on offense

Rosser possesses the reaction time, stride length and wingspan to cover serious ground defensively, making him an absolute terror around the basket for opposing drivers and cutters.

Take this defensive possession against Italy, which starts out a bit choppy for Team USA. Rosser is stationed on the right side of the floor when an errant Italian pass drags both JBB and Mason Collins (7) to the far corner. Out of the scramble, Mattia Ruggeri (8) emerges with what looks like a clear line to the basket. Rosser, however, has other ideas. Despite starting a foot outside the opposite side of the lane, Rosser takes two explosive steps and beats Ruggeri to the apex for a spectacular swat.

The block from Rosser triggers a fast break, resulting in Bowman finding Collins for a wing 3.

Australia runs a back-screen action for Luke Paul (7) on this possession, and Jordan Page (8) gets tripped by the screener while trying to stay attached. As Paul breaks free from Page, a clear lane to the rim appears to open up. Rosser, again, reads the development perfectly; he rotates over from the right corner and erases what would’ve been an easy layup.

Rosser’s length and hands can also turn him into a deflections machine and quick-reach steals artist.

This is one of my favorite defensive possessions for Team USA from the entire tournament. Page starts out at the point of attack before a Serbia pick-and-roll triggers a switch: Dampier jumps out to the ball, while Page “veer-back” switches to take away the roller. By the time Nikola Kusturica (25) shakes up the left wing to receive the pass, USA’s defense is completely set. With no immediate rotation to exploit, Kusturica attempts to drive and overpower Rosser. Rosser handles the bump perfectly, staying vertical before sticking his hands in the cookie jar for a clean strip — one of just 12 turnovers Kusturica committed in Istanbul.

Within the flow of the half-court offense, Rosser found a high volume of efficient looks shooting off the catch and cutting away from the ball. Team USA also put him in pindown actions, which is notable for a player of his size and length. It’s an effective way to get him to his spots both from beyond the arc and in the mid-range; Rosser can curl off a screen with a defender trailing behind and rise seamlessly into his motion without worrying about a heavy contest.

Rosser may never be a big-time separation/space creator, but that’s fine for his game. He simply shoots over the top.

In these actions, Rosser makes quality, score-first reads off down screens, knowing when to fade or curl hard. If a trailing defender closes out aggressively, Rosser can attack their feet on a catch-and-go drive to slash toward the rim, leveraging his length to chew up space instantly.

For example, Rosser fades this inverted down screen from Black in early offense. When his defender jumps out to run him off the 3-point line, Rosser counters with a quick first step toward the baseline, followed by a two-dribble attack for a powerful dunk.

Jordan Page, Wing

Not everyone gets to be a featured player on Team USA. Regardless of competition level — whether it’s Devin Booker with the senior national team or Arkansas guard Jordan Smith at the U19 World Cup last summer — certain players, who are stars on their respective teams outside the national system, must be willing to accept and excel in a scale down role. The sacrifices are often worth their weight in gold (medals).

Jordan Page, a product of Raleigh, North Carolina’s Broughton High School, hit these notes perfectly in Istanbul: defend hard, run the floor whenever there’s daylight and cut purposefully in the half-court. With JBB (24.4 percent usage rate), Black (20.1 percent usage) and Rosser (26.4 percent usage) at the controls on offense, Page tailored his game to the system and the unique talents of his teammates.

At 6-foot-5 with long arms, a sturdy base, fast hands and quick lateral movements, Page can be a demon defending at the point of attack.

Team USA’s pick-and-roll defense isn’t always the most crisp in these competitions, as the team leans on its collective length and athleticism to cover gaps and erase mistakes. However, Page had positive moments of screening navigation, both on and off the ball, including possessions against top opposing perimeter scorers.

On this baseline-under play, Australia runs staggered down screens for Paul (7), its star guard. Page turns into Paul’s shadow and blows up the action, gliding over the top of both screens and being in position to get a steal. That turnover creates a transition opportunity, with a streaking JBB punctuating things off a feed from Page: a southpaw-to-southpaw connection.

In 96 minutes of action, Team USA outscored opponents by 149 points with Page on the floor. He posted a 17 percent usage rate on offense, shot 75.9 percent on 2-point attempts and didn’t a free throw attempt. Page will do the dirty work, too, including setting hard screens that free up teammates for efficient looks at the basket.

Here, Page sets a good “Rip” screen to create an opening for Dampier, who slams home a lob from Black.

Despite playing an off-ball role, Page attempted just four 3-pointers in his six games (1-of-4 3PA), which is something to monitor longterm. Will he be able to reliably stick spot-up jumpers? Can he create his own shot? The answers to those questions will come sooner rather than later, but for the World Cup, he countered the lack of a 3-ball with constant motion and heady off-ball activity.

As Black engages in drag ball screen action with Rosser, Page is stationed in the right, strong-side corner. Black gets into his bag and gets by his defender. Page could continue to spot-up in the corner for a kick-out, but when his defender digs at Black’s handle, he’s already in motion, cutting along the baseline for a layup, courtesy of Black.

Playing off movement was a real strength of Page’s in the tournament, constantly working a step ahead of his defender. He even showcased a little “stampede cut” to make himself a moving target in catch-and-go opportunities.

Black and JBB run pick-and-roll on the left side of the floor against Cameroon, with Page in the strong-side corner. As Black attacks the drop coverage and JBB rolls, Cameroon’s defense collapses: Black takes the two defenders involved in the screening action, while JBB’s rim run pulls a defender off Page in the corner. When this happens, Page comes off the corner and starts cutting toward the basket; he’s inside the arc and on the move when Black kicks it to him. This is the stampede cut.

When his defender turns and looks to close out on the ball, Page is already driving downhill into the paint, which creates another rotation and pulls in help defenders, opening Boumtje-Boumtje for a lay-down pass at the rim. This is how you build advantage in a half-court offense and connect actions as a secondary playmaker.

Moreover, Page impacts winning at both ends of the floor. He’ll make the extra pass to a corner shooter, set hard screens or crash the offensive glass.

On this first quarter possession against Australia, USA runs its “Horns Down” action: feeding Dampier in the right slot and running wide pindown action for Rosser, cutting out of the weak-side corner. As Rosser curls and gets into his gather around the nail, Page doesn’t remain stationary in the corner; he cuts baseline toward the rim, sliding behind his defender.

Rosser’s jumper misses and two Australians are in great position to grab the defensive board; however, Page busts in and taps out a contested rebound right back to his teammate. Rosser collects the loose ball and drains the jumper, but this doesn’t happen without Page’s hustle.

Cayden Daughtry, PG

Black wasn’t the only standout lead ball handler on the roster, though: Cayden Daughtry continued his strong 2026 campaign with outstanding production at the World Cup. In just under 18 minutes per game, Daughtry averaged 11.7 points, 4.7 assists and 4.0 free throw attempts, while shooting 66.7 percent on 2s, 45 percent on 3s and 82.1 percent from the line, translating to a true shooting rate of 72.8 percent.

The 6-foot Daughtry is smaller, but he’s as durable driver, one who can play through the bump. Beyond his toughness and physicality, Daughtry is a patient playmaker with excellent body control. He’s tough to contain as Daughtry can mix speeds and change directions at the drop of a time.

Here against Italy, Daughtry receives a pass in the middle of the floor, hits his defender with a little stutter rip move and drives by (through contact) for a layup.

This is what that change of pace can create: opportunities to get downhill into tight spaces.

Daughtry and JBB run empty-side two-man game late in the shot clock against Serbia. The defense has the action bottled up, but with under five seconds left on the clock, Daughtry launches into action: a snappy between-the-legs crossover dribble. Instead of dribbling sideways along the perimeter, Daughtry is now going north-south, straight to the rim, for a finish, despite a physical contest from the 6-foot-8 Kusturica.

His patience and purpose with the basketball are notable. As things speed up and the court is cluttered with defenders and off-ball movement, Daughtry can slow the chaos down and get to his spots. There’s an intentionality to these movements that’s rather encouraging. He’s in control, and he’s looking to bend coverages and create openings for teammates.

Xavier Young (10) sets a flat ball screen at mid-court for Daughtry on this possession against Italy. Daughtry dribbles middle and then snakes back to the empty side, driving away from a help defender digging at the ball. A shooter of Daughtry’s caliber could look to let it fly with this much space, or skip it to Collins in the weak-side corner — a pass Daughtry can make. Instead, Daughtry takes his time driving down, pulls the screener defender in his direction, forcing a switch. Young has inside leverage on the guard defender and a clear line to the rim.

While Daughtry can operate like a pure point, he’s also a heady off-ball mover with strong connective tendencies. Daughtry will cut and relocate without the ball, looking to build advantage by making the extra pass.

This transition possession flows into a give-and-go between Daughtry and Collins. When the ball cycles back to Daughtry, he catches it in the middle of the floor, with Australia’s defense scrambling to match up. Daughtry doesn’t force the issue, though. He waits a beat, lets the seas part and hits a streaking Montgomery for another dunk.

This feel as a quick decision-maker and off-ball player served him well on Team USA, as he played a lot of minutes with Bowman, who can commands some on-ball usage, too.

Bowman launches this possession running pick-and-roll with Young. As Bowman drives middle, Daughtry shakes up from the right corner to the wing. Australia’s defense is in good position, but Daughtry is still able to drive by Paul and crack the paint, which pulls in help defenders and creates a cut opportunity for Montgomery, who feasted playing off Daughtry.

Montgomery shot 86.7 percent on 2-point attempts (26-of-30 2PA). According to my charting data from the tournament, Daughtry assisted Montgomery 10 times, the most of any player on the roster, including nine finishes at the rim.

NaVorro Bowman, Jr., Combo Guard

Similar to Daughtry, Bowman scaled his game perfectly for the United States, vacillating between on-ball facilitation and off-ball connective playmaking. Bowman shot 71.7 percent on 2-point attempts and dished out 25 assists to 12 turnovers.

As a creator, Bowman has a nice first step and plays with plenty of burst. The 6-foot-2 guard can drive in either direction and win races to the rim, even against set defenses.

Bowman pairs that speed well with good wiggle and changes of direction. Even in the middle of a drive, Bowman can shift from a straight line into slippery changes of his direction. The ability to break this stuff out on the fly speaks to his athleticism and ingenuity as a driver.

In the open floor, Bowman’s handle can really take over, too. He’ll leave defenders grabbing at the air as he floats and glides around them with pace. Bowman is looking to score when he drives, but he can really pass, too, including hit-aheads and lobs in transition.

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International

Nikola Kusturica, Serbia, Wing

While going through Barcelona film early this spring to watch Boumtje-Boumtje and UNC-bound Sayon Keita, I was able to catch a lot of Nikola Kusturica. He popped off the screen as a super creative wing who played with bravado, took chances as a playmaker and could basically do everything on both ends of the floor.

Kusturica is already the youngest player to ever debut for Barcelona’s senior team, and he’s now one of the top prospects in the college hoops landscape; however, the World Cup offered another context for the 6-foot-8 wing: Kusturica as the unquestioned leader of Serbia. Kusturica didn’t disappoint, and if not for a ridiculous effort from JBB, Kusturica would’ve been the best player at the event.

Over the course of a week, Kusturica put together a monster two-way performance, one that went beyond the stats, which were impressive in their own right: he was relentless. Even from afar, while watching on my laptop in North Carolina, his effort level jumped out. Kusturica is super competitive and a leader; package that with his blend of skills and frame, and there’s unlimited potential, especially once he bulks up.

Kusturica recorded 16 steals and 12 blocks in 191 minutes, translating to a steal rate of 4.1 percent and a 5.8 rebound block rate.

During the championship game against the United States, Kusturica went at his former teammate, JBB, on both ends: battling in the post in a clash of titans and attacking him on switches when he had the ball on offense.

His potential as a slasher is special. Despite being pretty lanky, Kusturica has enough bend and craft with his handle to get into tight spaces. After this ball-screen split against New Zealand, Kusturica is able to take one more dribble, gather and glide to the rim for a dazzling finish.

Kusturica’s balance and stride length allow him to cover ground as a driver, whether it’s the half court or the open floor. Again, there’s a real funkiness to his game. He just plays and moves in his own ways. In the game of basketball, you want outlier talents like that: those who differentiate themselves.

As Serbia pushes the ball at New Zealand, Kusturica receives this pass on the move, but he’s still able to pick up his dribble from outside the arc, Euro-step down all the way down the lane and then finish through contact with his left hand.

Kusturica is skinny, but he can already dish out some punishment as a driver. When he gets stronger and adds muscle, he’ll be able to withstand more contact while maintaining his balance.

With a need for Kusturica to be assertive as a scorer for Serbia, the young wing was also able to showcase some of his nuttier shooting abilities. Kusturica has deep range on his 3-ball, and he can hit off the dribble and off platform.

There’s a team-first scalability to his game as well. He dialed up his usage as the situation demanded, but he doesn’t have to force much. Kusturica is a smart mover and cutter, plus his determination as a finisher makes him an excellent target away from the ball.

Because he’s so good at doing the secondary creation work, you can play this guy next to anyone and he’s going to click. Kusturica brings a super malleable skill set to the table.

Kusturica is one of the best connective passers among all prospects, too. He maps the floor well and has a real sense of angles and geometry, which turns him into snappy decision-maker on quick reads.

Serbia even used Kusturica as a screener and roving mismatch piece in its short roll game.

The ability to play both sides of the pick-and-roll, including some bully-bal is encouraging and highlights the type of offensive weapon Kusturica could become in leverage situations as he progresses.

Nathan Soliman, France, Forward

One of the more versatile player and scorers in the World Cup was France forward Nathan Soliman. The 6-foot-9 Soliman led France in scoring (17.6 points per game), rebounds (7.0 per game), blocks (1.6 per game) and steals (1.1), while posting a usage rate of 24.9 percent and an impressive effective shooting clip of 65.1 percent (42.3 3P%).

Soliman was excellent in the opener against Team USA’s stacked front line, scoring 18 points on efficient 6-of-7 shooting from the field (5-of-6 FTA) and collecting four stocks: two steals and two blocks, including a doozy against CJ Rosser. The United States runs 5-out Zoom action for Rosser, with Soliman switching off and then switching back onto the ball. As Rosser drives left, he tries to finish with his inside hand and Soliman is there waiting to pin the shot on the backboard.

The sample size is small, but over this stretch, Soliman posted a 5.9 percent block rate and a 3.2 percent steal rate — both strong indicators that reinforce the disruptive nature of his defensive game.

While he isn’t a twitchy athlete or highly explosive with the ball, Soliman is an industrious creator with a reliable midrange scoring stroke. Balancing power and grace, he thrives when receiving touches in the mid-post or pinch post areas, where he can isolate and operate with a mix of face-up moves and Barkley-style backdown drives.

In the USA matchup, Soliman hit a collection of tough shots against active, athletic wing defenders like Rosser and AJ Williams.

Here, Soliman receives an inverted ball screen and forces a switch against Williams. With the left side cleared out, Soliman chisels his way toward the elbow before pirouetting to drain a difficult fadeaway jumper.

Of course, these types of tough mid-range attempts are ideally treated as fallback looks: bail-out options when the offense stalls. However, Soliman isn’t just a late-clock isolation player. He brings some genuine downhill driving pop to his game as well.

One of the best features of Soliman’s creation profile is his functional deceptiveness with the ball. When initiating the offense, he’s a natural fit to run inverted pick-and-rolls, leveraging smaller guards as screeners to hunt mismatches or create advantage situations if the defense decides to put two on the ball.

This exact archetype — a fluid, primary-initiating big — also makes Soliman highly effective keeping the ball on fake dribble-handoffs. These DHO keepers trigger defensive miscommunications and freeze defenders, and Soliman is always ready to pounce on the opening.

If and when the defense collapses on those looks, Soliman, who posted an assist rate of 19.4 percent over his seven World Cup games, can look for kick-outs or cutters.

Ultimately, this is the optimal projection for Soliman: a big wing who can score from multiple levels, provide floor spacing and serve as a versatile mismatch weapon in both early offense and late-clock situations.

Soliman may never be an apex creator; in fact, he may be better suited for a tertiary role. Down the line, though, an offense could run actions through Soliman or use use as a screener or spacer to help distort matchups and make life easier for other ball handlers. You won’t be able to hide non-defenders on his bully-ball game.

Omer Kutluay, Türkiye, Point Guard

While Black and Daughtry may have asserted themselves as the premier point guards at the event, Türkiye’s Omer Kutluay — a product of the Real Madrid pipeline — certainly made his case as a potent offensive engine. With the attack flowing entirely through him, Kutluay posted monster numbers: a 33.3 percent usage rate and a 49.3 percent assist rate against a mere 12.2 percent turnover rate (63 assists to 24 turnovers).

Some defenses, like the gap-heavy approach of Serbia caused some issues, Kutluay played with aggression as opponents tilted coverages to stop him at all costs, averaging 28.4 points on 20.9 field goal attempts per game while shooting 35.7 percent from deep and 47.8 percent inside the arc.

France threw everything at Kutluay in the quarterfinals, but he simply continued to hit massive shot after massive shot. He possesses serious pull-up range paired with matching confidence; even with a second defender contesting his space, Kutluay can routinely bury deep jumpers with accuracy.

Kutluay features a wicked crossover and plenty of functional twitch; he can weave through defenders like cones or expertly split a hard hedge downhill. Once he gets into the paint, Kutluay unpacks an extensive bag of below-the-rim finishing counters, or he can leverage his gravity to make quick, daring reads as a playmaker.

The threat of his pull-up or step-back 3-ball is a powerful tool for unlock his dribble-drive game. He’ll lull defenders into thinking he’s ready to pop an off-dribble 3-point and then blow by them for downhill paint finishes.

Stay turned for more scouting and 2026 offseason coverage throughout the Summer and Fall!

A busy offseason in Durham has gathered momentum in for Duke basketball with commitments from two marquee transfer portal prospects: PF/C Drew Scharnowski (6-9, 225) from Belmont and Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (6-4, 203).

(This story was originally published prior to the commitment of FC Barcelona PF/C Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje. If you want to read more about Boumtje-Boumtje, you can check out my scouting report on the star southpaw at The Devils Den.)

During his junior season, Blackwell’s usage rate held steady at 25.6 percent as he developed into one of the top shooters in the Big Ten, posting career highs in offensive box plus-minus, true shooting percentage (59.3 TS%), free throw percentage (85.9 FT%) and total 3-pointers made (96).

Let’s take a look at what he brings to the table, how he fits with Duke’s current roster and where he may excel most within the team’s scheme.

The Archetype

Since taking over as head coach ahead of the 2022–23 season, Jon Scheyer’s teams have consistently featured at least one player who attempts 10 or more 3-pointers per 100 possessions while shooting above 35 percent from beyond the arc.

For his career, Blackwell averaged 9.9 3-point attempts per 100 possessions while shooting 37.3 percent from beyond the arc and posting a 58 percent true shooting rate. As a junior, he increased his volume to 12.5 3-point attempts per 100 possessions, connecting on 38.9 percent from deep while serving as a catalyst for one of the most explosive offenses in the country.

Blackwell has been an efficient and productive player throughout his time at Wisconsin, but in his third season in Madison, he put together one of the better high-volume shooting campaigns in the country. According to Bart Torvik’s database, he was one of just eight Division I players with 200+ 2PA, 200+ 3PA and a true shooting rate above 58 percent. That group includes some of the nation’s top shooters, including potential 2026 first round picks Darius Acuff, Keaton Wagler, Bennett Stirtz, Labaron Philon and Cameron Carr, along with draft prospect — and one of the top players in the portal — former Wake Forest (now Tennessee) swingman Juke Harris.

Catch-and-Shoot: Keep It Moving

The best aspect of Blackwell’s game — the trait that drove his appeal in the portal — is his ability to make shots, especially off the catch. He’s a high-volume, quick-trigger 3-point bomber who can fire off movement and under pressure. With this skill set, Blackwell projects as a crucial off-ball movement shooter and a secondary creator for the Blue Devils.

Players like Blackwell — those who provide significant value even when they’re off the ball — make everything easier for a half-court offense. He spaces the floor, opens driving lanes and punishes defenses by attacking closeouts. At Duke, he’ll play alongside three strong sources of live-ball rim pressure in the backcourt: Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster and Deron Rippey Jr.

When those guards get downhill — whether in transition or in half-court pick-and-roll actions with Patrick Ngongba (42 dunks last season), Cam Williams or Drew Scharnowski (44 dunks) — Blackwell projects as a Tier 1 spot-up shooting threat, thriving on drive-and-kick 3-point opportunities.

If given time and space beyond the arc, Blackwell is a reliable catch-and-shoot marksman. Those clean looks can be harder to come by against high-major athletes and sharp defensive rotations, but he compensates with a quick release and deep range. According to CBB Analytics, he shot 41.2 percent on NBA-range 3-pointers last season, ranking in the 90th percentile nationally among guards.

Over the course of a possession, Blackwell can shift seamlessly between on-ball and off-ball roles. If he initiates a pick-and-roll and gives the ball up, the possession doesn’t end for him. He continues moving, relocating along the perimeter and hunting for catch-and-shoot opportunities.

Blackwell doesn’t need perfect, standstill looks to be effective, either. He’s a relocation artist who cuts and slides into pockets of space along the arc, consistently making himself available for kick-outs.

As point guard Nick Boyd drives downhill off an angled ball screen in the left slot — with Michigan’s Aday Mara in drop coverage — Nimari Burnett doesn’t stray far from the weak-side corner. Still, it’s enough for Boyd to fire a skip pass as Blackwell shifts along the perimeter and flows seamlessly into his shooting motion.

He’s especially dangerous from the corners. Blackwell shot 47.8% on corner 3-point attempts last season, per CBB Analytics.

When defenders try to run him off the line, he has the burst to attack closeouts and get downhill. He also has a polished shot-making bag, including a quick shot fake into a sidestep dribble — letting the defender fly by while creating space and staying balanced.

In this sequence, the ball swings to Blackwell in the weak-side corner after a Boyd drive. As 7-foot-4 center Daniel Jacobsen scrambles to close out, Blackwell uses a shot fake and a sidestep dribble to create space and reset behind the arc.

Blackwell expands his value as a 3-point shooter by creating chaos with off-ball screening actions and by setting screens for teammates — both of which should translate well to Duke’s scheme. Similar to Isaiah Evans this past season, it’s easy to envision Blackwell operating as a guard screener: setting picks for Boozer, Foster and Rippey before slipping out for pick-and-pop opportunities.

That dynamic is key to this group reaching its ceiling. While Blackwell may prefer more on-ball reps, his success — and the team’s — may hinge on leaning into his 3-point shooting role. That’s the differentiator, as he provides something no one else on the roster does: high-volume, off-movement perimeter shooting at the college level.

At times, Blackwell has shown the ability to blend both roles: functioning as a guard screener while also punishing defenses as an elite movement shooter. In this example, Wisconsin runs "77 Throwback" action, which begins with Boyd dribbling left over the top of staggered ball screens ("77" action) set by Blackwell and big man Aleksas Bieliauskas.

As soon as Boyd clears the first screen, Blackwell rolls toward the elbow and then turns back up the floor. Boyd continues left off a second ball screen from Bieliauskas, who then sprints toward Blackwell to set a down screen.

With Boyd pulling defenders toward the left wing, Blackwell races back up the floor into the vacated space. Illinois is in its customary drop coverage, so when Boyd swings the ball back to Blackwell coming off the down screen, there's room to curl into. Wagler tries to chase from behind, but Blackwell creates separation off the pindown and lets it fly from 3.

In recent years, Wisconsin coach Greg Gard has shifted the program’s offensive approach, moving away from Bo Ryan’s methodical “Swing“ offense toward a 5-out, continuity ball-screen system. The Badgers space the floor and play with good pace in the half court, flowing side to side with ball reversals through the slots and initiating empty-side pick-and-rolls.

While this transition has reduced some of Wisconsin’s traditional off-ball motion sets, it has allowed Blackwell to flourish as a shooter off kick-outs, a downhill attacker along the edges of the defense and a threat in high handoff actions when the continuity flows into 5-out “Zoom” action.

This new arrangement — an alteration of the alchemy — improved the offensive balance in Madison. Over the past two seasons, the Badgers have played faster and taken more 3-pointers than ever before. In the 2025–26 season, Wisconsin ranked No. 6 nationally, with 52.1 percent of its field goals coming from beyond the arc. The Badgers also averaged 17.2 seconds per offensive possession. Compare that to just two years earlier — Blackwell’s freshman season — when Wisconsin posted a 3-point attempt rate of 35.5% (No. 225) and averaged 19.0 seconds per possession, according to KenPom.

More broadly, Blackwell should fit cleanly into Duke’s 5-out spacing and overall offensive approach: spacing the arc, moving the ball, generating high volumes of 3s and attacking off the dribble with purpose.

During his junior season, Blackwell’s usage rate held steady at 25.6 percent as he developed into one of the top shooters in the Big Ten, posting career highs in offensive box plus-minus, true shooting percentage (59.3 TS%), free throw percentage (85.9 FT%) and total 3-pointers made (96).

Let’s take a look at what he brings to the table, how he fits with Duke’s current roster and where he may excel most within the team’s scheme.

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Moving In Durham

There’s more than enough data and film to support the idea that Blackwell is a prolific deep-ball shooter, but there’s still another level for him to reach, and Duke’s offense has the potential to help him get there. For now, I’d label him a tier below the “gravity-bending” distinction that movement shooters like McCain, Knueppel and Evans earned in Durham. However, he has the opportunity to take another step in terms of the volume-efficiency balance and how defenses respond to his movement, particularly when playing off Ngongba.

With Ngongba back, Duke has one of the best frontcourt passing hubs in the country. Whether facing up in 5-out sets or working against double teams in the post, Ngongba can find cutters and shooters with pinpoint accuracy. This Blue Devils team will be guard-heavy, featuring multiple creators who can organize the offense and attack out of ball screens, but Ngongba will take on a central creation role as a high-post passing tower.

Ngongba is adept at finding cutters in Duke’s 5-out split action, locating teammates slipping behind the defense for easy baskets. According to CBB Analytics, he averaged 1.2 assists per 40 minutes on rim finishes, which ranked in the 97th percentile for centers.

That should benefit everyone on the roster, especially guard/wing cutters like Dame Sarr and Blackwell, who showed good pop as downhill cutters last season.

On this possession against UNC, Duke runs what I refer to as its "L" series into 5-out split action: Ngongba in the middle of the floor, with Sarr and Evans running toward one another before splitting in different directions. The gravity of Evans forces UNC to switch the action, and Sarr takes advantage, slipping behind Jarin Stevenson and getting to the rim for an uncontested dunk off a well-timed feed from Ngongba.

Sarr and Blackwell will likely work well together in these types of combos together next season, with Blackwell screening and slipping all over the floor.

Ngongba also brings a natural feel as a high-post handoff hub. Duke’s guards often deliver him the ball, fake a basket cut, then sprint back toward him, curling around a handoff from Ngongba and flowing straight into their shots or downhill drives. Over their two seasons together at Duke, Ngongba and Evans thrived in these two-man actions.

Now, it will be up to Ngongba and Blackwell to build that same kind of chemistry over the offseason.

Beyond that, it’s a safe bet Duke will use Blackwell in a variety of screen-the-screener actions: he sets a back screen for a teammate, then cuts off a pindown or flare in the opposite direction.

Wisconsin regularly ran this screen-the-screener (STS) action for Blackwell on baseline-out-of-bounds plays. The Badgers would start in a “Box” set, have Blackwell set a slice screen for the big at the opposite elbow, then send him off a down screen to the strong-side corner.

One of Duke's go-to baseline-out-of-bounds plays is also an STS call for its top shooter: Knueppel, McCain, Proctor, Whitehead and Evans have all run it. Instead of a Box formation, Duke uses a "Triangle" setup: three players spaced along the baseline, with the 5 in the strong-side corner and the featured shooter in the middle of the lane, while the 4 is spaced at the top of the key. The shooter turns to set a back screen for the 4 (Boozer on this possession against Kansas), then cuts to the corner off a screen from the 5.

Looks familiar, right? You can expect to see Blackwell hunting shots out of this action next season.

These movement sets will come on a variety of half-court sets, too, not just baseline-under plays. As I’ve written over the past three seasons, few programs in the country get more out of flare screens in their half-court offense. Duke excels at clearing one side of the floor, having a big set a flare screen for a shooter, then skipping a pass over the top for an open 3.

Here's what I refer to as Duke's "Spain Swipe" action: stack pick-and-roll action against Clemson, but instead of having the 5 (Boozer) roll downhill to the rim, he stops to set a flare screen for Evans, who slips setting a back screen on the defensive 5 and cuts to the vacated weak-side wing — off the flare.

This was a new play type for Duke this past season, and Evans cooked out of it. Assuming it remains in the playbook for 2026–27, Blackwell should be in line to benefit from these clean catch-and-shoot looks.

Pull-up Shooting

Blackwell already puts fear into opposing coaches with his off-ball movement and catch-and-shoot efficiency, but he’s also a highly versatile scorer who can heat up from multiple levels and create off the bounce, too. During his junior season, he averaged 13.1 unassisted points per 40 minutes.

He didn’t take that many midrange shots this past season, but he still shot 40.3 percent on paint attempts away from the rim (53rd percentile) and 36 percent on 2-point attempts outside the paint (54th percentile). These shots aren’t the engine of his offensive upside, but they help establish a foundation and become especially valuable in late-clock, high-leverage situations.

In Wisconsin's road upset win at Michigan, there's a telling example: with the game tied at 79 and about five minutes remaining, Blackwell dribbles left off an empty-side ball screen, drawing a switch onto Morez Johnson, one of the most versatile frontcourt defenders in the country. He attacks baseline, creates separation with a sharp step-back — subtly pushing off to gain space — and rises for the jumper. He has Boyd available on a paint cut but stays locked in on the shot and drills it.

One of Blackwell's go-to spots is the left wing. When Wisconsin runs a ball screen for him there, he can attack middle or reject it and drive baseline. In isolation, he often looks to get downhill along the baseline; if that's cut off, he can pivot to a step-back — like he hit against Johnson — or spin into a fadeaway. In these situations, he does an excellent job operating out of the triple-threat position.

Blackwell led Wisconsin with 25 unassisted 3-pointers this season — about 26 percent of his total makes from deep. He can operate in isolation or punish different coverages out of the pick-and-roll. If his defender goes under the screen, Blackwell has the proverbial green light.

Duke’s offense in 2025-26 missed a twitchy, off-the-bounce shooter with range — someone that could punish drop coverage from 25 feet out. As great as Evans was, he largely needed to play off the catch. Blackwell doesn’t have the same length (8-foot-2 standing reach to 8-foot-8.5 standing reach for Evans) or high-end movement as Evans, but he offers versatility in this area.

Alternatively, if the defense switches a bigger defender onto him, Blackwell can get into his bag, find a rhythm and rise into pull-up 3 — as he does here against Mara, who starts in drop coverage before eventually switching onto him.

Wisconsin opens this possession at Purdue with a "Floppy" action before flowing into an empty-corner pick-and-pop, with Blackwell handling. He drives left and waits for Jacobsen to recover to Bieliauskas on the pop, creating a clean 1-on-1 situation in space with Jack Benter trying to stay in front. Blackwell sells the baseline drive, then counters Benter's momentum with a sharp pull-back crossover, flowing right into his gather for a step-back 3-ball.

Blackwell isn’t an elite space creator with a live dribble, but he can certainly get the job done when needed. His handle is functional and his shot is compact, allowing him to create advantages and capitalize on them.

Paint Touches and Passes

During his junior season, 74.6 percent of Blackwell’s field goal attempts came either at the rim or from 3-point range. That’s a strong concentration of shots coming from the “money spots” on the floor, although rim attempts accounted for just 21 percent of those shots (42nd percentile among guards), which he converted at 58.8 percent, per CBB Analytics.

At Duke, you can expect that distribution to either hold steady or tilt even further toward the extremes, with closer to 80 percent of his attempts coming from beyond the arc and at the rim. That shift would only enhance his already efficient offensive profile.

Blackwell recorded just three dunks across his three years in Madison, all of which came during his sophomore season, and he has a career block rate of just 0.3 percent. He’s not an above-the-rim finisher, nor is he the type of guard who lives in isolation constantly trying to beat defenders off the dribble. But there’s a suddenness to his driving game, and he can win with his frame, a decisive handle and a quick first step. That’s how he unlocks a subtle but effective dribble-drive package.

As a junior, Blackwell drew 5.0 fouls per 40 minutes, including 2.2 shooting fouls per 40, ranking in the 87th percentile among Division I guards.

Defended on this late-game possession by Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, a strong and impactful defender, Blackwell opts to drive downhill before Bieliauskas can come over and set a screen for him. Blackwell plants his right foot and explodes past Lendeborg with an impressive first step. Sensing that Lendeborg will sell out to challenge the shot from behind — and with the athletic Roddy Gayle rotating over as help — Blackwell slams on the brakes, shot fakes, gets both defenders in the air and finishes in the restricted area.

This is a really nice mix of speeds from Blackwell, who goes from 0 to 60 and back to 0 in a matter of seconds.

Blackwell also amplifies his off-ball scoring package by turning these movement opportunities into downhill drives. Here’s that same baseline-out-of-bounds Box STS action for Wisconsin. Instead of curling to the corner for a 3, Blackwell fades off the screen, catches the ball higher on the floor and is immediately ready to pressure the paint. He turns the corner and gets all the way to the rim for an impressive finish.

He can win as a driver with more than just ball fakes and straight-line speed. Blackwell also leverages his frame and strength to initiate contact and play through bumps.

At Indiana, Wisconsin runs more Floppy action with Blackwell on the left side of the floor. He comes flat off a wide down screen, and as soon as he receives the pass from Andrew Rohde, he’s immediately driving baseline in the opposite direction. Conor Enright, who defends him on this possession, is smaller and a notorious flopper. Enright tries to sell the contact, but Blackwell powers through, Euro-steps past the falling defender and finishes on the other side of the rim with a smooth reverse layup.

He doesn't necessarily need a size mismatch to unlock his power game as a driver, either. Blackwell comes off a handoff in early offense against Michigan with Johnson fighting to stay in front of him. Blackwell feels the pressure and knows he needs to create separation from Johnson, an elite rim protector. Instead of rushing the finish off the glass, he uses his upper body to bump Johnson and crack open a little space, finishing a layup just before Mara can rotate over to contest.

Blackwell has a career assist rate of 12.2 percent and a turnover rate of 13.1 percent. So far, he's been much more of a station-to-station passer — as opposed to someone who takes over a came with his court-mapping and multi-level passing.

While at Wisconsin, Blackwell played alongside high-usage guards like Chucky Hepburn and John Tonje, and he knows how to function next to talented, ball-dominant teammates — experience that should serve him well amid a crowded backcourt in Durham. Blackwell doesn't have elite passing traits, but he does add another player to the lineup who can create shots for both himself and others. He can operate out of the pick-and-roll as a secondary creator, finding teammates for open kick-out 3 off his scoring gravity and connecting with rim-runners on pocket passes.

Without further ado, let’s dive into a full scouting report on Bidunga, covering both ends of the floor: schematic versatility defending the pick-and-roll, weak-side rim protection, generating hustle points, interior finishing and a burgeoning low-post game.

A Number’s Darling: KU’s Swing Piece

Despite logging fewer than 700 minutes this season, Darryn Peterson was clearly the headliner for the 2025-26 campaign in Lawrence. Stepping into the starting center role, however, Bidunga put together a monster season, emerging as an elite rim protector and two-way rebounder. In doing so, he became the team’s most reliable player on a night-to-night basis.

With Bidunga on the court this season, the Kansas offense scored at a pretty healthy clip: 114.7 points per 100 possessions. The team’s offensive efficiency stayed high even when Bidunga played without Peterson. In fact, Kansas was even more efficient offensively in those minutes: +151 over 533 minutes, with an offensive rating of 117.8 points per 100 possessions.

One major reason Kansas struggled offensively without Bidunga — a play-finisher who provides little stretch in the frontcourt room due to limited 3-point range — was a lack of rim pressure. According to CBB Analytics, the Jayhawks averaged just 15.7 field goal attempts at the rim per 40 minutes with Bidunga on the bench, compared to 20.1 per 40 minutes when he was on the floor.

While the Kansas offense never fully found its stride this season, Bill Self’s squad could always rely on its defense. The Jayhawks finished the year ranked in the Top 10 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Kansas also placed among the nation’s best in several key metrics, all of which are related: effective field goal percentage (45 eFG%), 2-point percentage (44.4 2P%) and block rate (15.6%).

Make no mistake: Bidunga was the driving force behind these defensive numbers. With him off the floor, Kansas’s block rate dropped to 13.8 percent, and opponents shot a much higher percentage at the rim, per CBB Analytics: 59.7 percent, up from 52.9 percent when Bidunga was on the court. Overall, Kansas allowed nearly 16 more points per 100 possessions with him on the bench.

Given his elite on-off numbers, strong rim protection and rebounding metrics — 8.9 percent block rate and 18.4 percent defensive rebound rate — combined with disciplined foul avoidance (3.0 fouls committed per 40 minutes), it’s no surprise that Bidunga ranks highly across a variety of catch-all defensive metrics. According to CBB Analytics, he sits in the 99th percentile among centers in DRAPM (Defensive Regularized Adjusted Plus/Minus), while also placing in the Top 5 nationally in Evan Miyakawa’s DBPR metric — alongside other standout defenders such as Yaxel Lendeborg, Rueben Chinyelu, Aday Mara and Jojo Tugler.

Athleticism and Motor

Listed at 6-foot-10 and 235 pounds, Bidunga is somewhat undersized and lighter than a typical full-time center. At the 2024 Hoops Summit, he measured 6-foot-7—a noteworthy mark, especially in terms of his NBA stock. Currently, he projects as a one-position player (center), and these measurements are below average for an NBA 5.

The size concern matters in college as well, though less dramatically. Bidunga still brings length, run-and-jump athleticism, lateral mobility and a high-end motor. What he lacks in elite size is mitigated by his physical tools (7-foot-2 wingspan) and his willingness to leave it all on the floor.

In the second half against Duke, Kansas runs a middle ball-screen action with Tre White and Bidunga, which Maliq Brown blitzes — hedging out and pushing White back toward midcourt. The Blue Devils have the backside well-covered, but White chooses to loft the ball to his big man anyway. Bidunga snags a tough catch in traffic, high-points it over Brown, quickly reloads and rises again for a thunderous dunk over Cameron Boozer.

On this ball screen against Baylor, Bidunga gets low into a defensive stance as Cameron Carr dribbles left off the pick. Using his reach and quick hands, Bidunga deflects the ball when Carr leaves it exposed. The turnover sparks a fast break the other way, with Bidunga sprinting the floor for a put-back finish.

Bidunga’s combination of straight-line speed and effortless vertical lift (very little load time) makes him a threat both on the break and on the offensive glass, where he can finish over defenders thanks to a quick second jump.

After grabbing a contested rebound against Baylor, Bidunga pushes the ball ahead and then trails the action, sprinting into an angled ball screen with Melvin Council. Without missing a beat, he create contact on the screen and rolls downhill for a lob finish.

Here’s another transition opportunity for KU, this time against Arizona. After sprinting the floor, Bidunga secures a contested rebound over the burly Tobe Awaka (6-8, 250) and Brayden Burries, spins and pogo-sticks back up for the finish, while Koa Peat wisely opts not to challenge.

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Pick-and-Roll Defense: Pick Your Flavor

Bidunga is a dream defensive anchor for coaches who value scheme versatility on ball screens, especially those who want their centers to be able to switch and credibly defend positions 1-5. He allows the defense to be multiple, whether hedging hard at the top, dropping below the level of the screen or switching. Not yet 21, the southpaw already has two years of college experience and nearly 1,700 minutes under his belt, providing high-level impact in a variety of situations for two Top 10 defenses.

Kansas switched screens 1-5 frequently this season, particularly early in the schedule when it served as the base coverage in some matchups. While Bidunga can struggle in space against some of the quicker guards, he remains solid on switches. He demonstrates an ability to corral drives without fouling, funnel the ball away from the rim and force kick-out passes.

NC State gets a decent look for Darrion Williams off the catch on this possession, but Bidunga does a good job containing point guard Quadir Copeland, one of the ACC’s best live-ball drivers this season.

Carr tries to attack downhill against this Bidunga switch, but Baylor’s star wing can’t gain leverage to turn the corner. As the 6-foot-5 Carr extends for the finish, Bidunga swats the shot, keeps the ball in play and even saves it from going out — sparking a Kansas transition in the opposite direction.

In a game-sealing moment against then-undefeated Arizona, Bidunga switches onto Burries, a likely Top 10 pick in this summer’s NBA Draft. Burries attacks Bidunga’s feet and opens a lane to the hoop, but this is where Bidunga’s athleticism and timing shine: though Burries gets off the floor first, Bidunga recovers and explodes upward to reject the driving attempt.

Once again, Bidunga keeps the ball in play, forcing Arizona to foul and helping Kansas secure the victory.

Bidunga can hold his ground on switches against elite college guards, but his primary pick-and-roll coverage should be hedge-and-recover. He has the activity and wingspan to challenge the point of attack, along with the speed to get back to the rolling big man.

St. John’s flows from a 5-out set into middle ball-screen action on this possession, with Bidunga hedging out and containing Ian Jackson. As STJ resets and the ball returns to Zuby Ejiofor, Bidunga stays disciplined on the fake handoff back to Jackson and finishes the sequence with another block off the backboard.

Against Duke, Bidunga shows smooth defensive work, helping corral the two-man action between Brown and Isaiah Evans around the elbow. He’s ready to challenge Evans if he looks to pull up from midrange and is also able to get back in front of Brown on the dive.

Interior Defense

While Bidunga lacks the high-end size some coaches may prefer in drop coverage, especially at the next level, some of those same limitations can affect his post defense as well. He is, of course, an active and physical interior defender who can use his length to alter or block post-up attempts, including this contest on Ejiofor, St. John’s star center.

Bidunga is always on the prowl for shots to block or alter, but he isn’t reckless. Offensive players try to get him off his feet with pump fakes, yet Bidunga trusts his length and vertical athleticism, staying grounded until the moment to explode for a rejection — as he does here against Notre Dame’s Jalen Haralson.

This also helps keep Bidunga out of foul trouble and on the floor. He committed just 2.7 defensive fouls per 40 minutes this season (86th percentile) and played 78.4 percent of the team’s minutes. Bidunga was the only high-major player in the country this season to appear in at least 75 percent of his team’s available minutes and post a block rate above 7.0 percent.

That said, bulkier offensive players can find success against him in the post. Bidunga will battle, but he sometimes gives up too much mass. Some opponents use early seals or shoulder contact to push him deeper into the paint and create separation.

The 7-foot-2, 260-pound Montiejus Krivas is a load for any defender, and he did damage in 1-on-1 post situations against Bidunga when Kansas hosted Arizona, including this hi-lo bucket.

Later in the matchup with St. John’s, Ejiofor sizes up Bidunga with a face-up in the right mid-post. Ejiofor goes left, spins back to the right and uses his left shoulder to displace Bidunga and get the ball up on the glass.

Very few young post defenders are perfect in isolated post-up situations. Ultimately, Bidunga can be trusted to defend effectively in the post, though some matchups may put him in more precarious positions in terms of finishing and foul avoidance.

Back-Line Rim Protection

According to Bart Torvik’s database, Bidunga was one of 11 high-major players this season to finish with an 18 percent defensive rebound rate and an 8% block rate. This group, which also includes Tarris Reed Jr. (UConn) and Ugonna Onyenso (Virginia), lists Bidunga as the second-shortest player — behind only Keba Keita of BYU.

Bidunga racks up blocks defending ball screens and post-ups, but his best rim protection comes when he can showcase his motor, ground coverage, and anticipation as a back-line helper: chasing down shots and rejecting attempts from the weak side.

After a long rebound by Arizona guard Jaden Bradley, Bidunga tracks the ball as it races back up the floor. Around mid-court, he begins to slow his steps to properly time out and position himself for Bradley’s rim attempt. Council does just enough to hold up the ball, and Bidunga flies into the picture — punching Bradley’s layup away with a vicious chasedown block.

Thanks to his wingspan and explosive leaping ability, Bidunga has an exceptional deterrence radius; he can block, alter or effectively contest shots that initially appear out of his reach.

On the first play of the second half against Baylor, Carr comes off a ball screen and drives past Bryson Tiller and Peterson. With Baylor center Caden Powell sealed in the post, it appears Carr has a straight-line path to the hoop.

Bidunga is known for his multi-sport skills that translate to the soccer pitch, but he taps into some American football techniques for this maneuver. Like a defensive end, he swim moves around Powell, shedding the would-be screener, and emerges on the other side to erase Carr’s rim attempt.

Later in the Baylor game, it looks as though Powell again as Bidunga sealed in the paint as Obi Agbim drives. Once again, though, Bidunga is able to shake Powell and get up for a major rejection — swatting Agbim’s attempt with so much force that it leads to a run-out layup down on the other end.

Interior Finishing

The key to Bidunga’s offensive efficiency is simple: he’s a powerful interior finisher who doesn’t turn the ball over that much. He’s a career 66 percent shooter on 2-point attempts, including 64.4 percent in the 2025-26 season despite a larger workload: 19.5 percent usage rate, up from 15.9 percent as a freshman.

According to CBB Analytics, 74.2 percent of Bidunga’s career field-goal attempts have come within 4.5 feet of the rim, and he’s converted an impressive 74.5 percent of those looks.

Many of these opportunities come from hustle and doing conventional center duties at a high level: screen-rolls, cuts and crashing the offensive glass.

During the 2025-26 season, Bidunga the average distance on Bidunga’s 2-ponts attempts was 3.2 feet and he averaged 7.9 rim field goal attempts per 40 minutes, ranking in the 94th percentile for centers.

The high volume of rim attempts turns into a lot of dunks for Bidunga, unsurprisingly. Bidunga averaged 3.0 dunks per 40 minutes this season, and he was one of only three high-major players to record 80 or more dunks, per Bart Torvik’s database.

1. Somto Cyril, Georgia: 83 dunks

2. Flory Bidunga, Kansas: 82 dunks

3. Aday Mara, Michigan, 81 dunks

While Bidunga gets plenty of dunks around the basket on the pick-and-roll, he’s not just a dunk-bot. His touch isn’t always there, but Bidunga has moments where he shows a little more feel on touch or lob finishes.

On this possession, Bidunga sprints the floor and sets a solid screen in KU’s “Drag” pick-and-roll, helping create space for Council. When the lob comes his way, Nnaji backpedals and nearly undercuts him in midair. Bidunga, however, adjusts his body, catches the pass and finishes softly off the glass.

Bidunga remains heavily reliant on his left hand for non-dunk finishes around the basket. Developing his right hand — even for jus the occasional paint attempt — would be a real asset.

Post-up Notes

With more opportunities and greater maturity, Bidunga became a more productive and efficient post-up scorer. According to InStat, he averaged 0.9 post-up chances per game as a freshman, accounting for 20.7 percent of his total possessions, and scored 0.73 points per opportunity.

As a sophomore, Bidunga increased to 3.2 used post-ups per game (shots or turnovers), representing 30.4 percent of his possessions, and scored 0.83 points per chance.

He doesn’t project as a low-post brute who commands double teams or anchors an offense, but when he plays with poise and pace in the post — and leverages his quickness, long arms and frame — he can be a productive finisher in the paint. Bidunga’s ability to extend for finishes, even in a congested low-post area, really pops.

Here against UNC, Bidunga switches onto Caleb Wilson. He quickly ducks in, sealing off Wilson in the paint and positioning himself for the post-entry feed. Bidunga may get away with a slight “chicken wing,” using his left elbow to create separation, but it results in a strong finish at the rim. It’s good to see him play with this type of force.

It’s an effective move, but Bidunga is guilty at times of using his elbows to hook and displace defenders. There’s some risk associated with that; however, it’s effective if the refs swallow their whistles.

While Bidunga can usually rely on his quickness advantage against college centers, he isn’t afraid to play physical, too. He uses angles and a solid lower-body base to carve out space for duck-ins and hi-lo feeds.

This is excellent work against Krivas, one of the country’s top interior defenders. Bidunga creates space in the restricted area with Krivas fronting the post. After Tiller’s lob entry, he keeps his pivot foot grounded, spins like a top and uses a shot fake to get Krivas (7.5 percent block rate) off his feet before rising for the finish.

To open the second half against Duke, Kansas dumps the ball into Bidunga in the post, working against Patrick Ngongba, another excellent post defender. Bidunga gets momentarily pinned on the basket, with his dribbled expired and Ngongba applying serious pressure. However, Bidunga manages to maintain his balance and pivot as he shakes out of Ngongba’s defense to extend for a monster reverse dunk.

Screen Machine

While Bidunga often uses his speed to slip screens — cutting downhill toward the rim before the screen fully develops — he’s just as willing to use his body to help teammates get open. He holds his ground and sets solid screens.

This, in turn, impacts his ability to roll effectively into space.

For example, Bidunga extends a handoff to Council on an empty-corner ball-screen action. Arizona’s defensive anchor, Krivas, drops a few feet below the level of the screen. Bidunga doesn’t allow Burries to float over the top; he sets a hard screen, giving Council room to dribble into space near the nail.

With Burries stuck on the screen and now behind the play, Krivas must come off his line in the drop as he takes a step toward Council.

This slight nudge from Krivas leaves Bidunga wide open, as the left corner is vacated and no help defender is in position to tag the roll. Council recognizes it and lobs the ball over the top to Bidunga, who finishes over a retreating Krivas with both grace and authority.

Playmaking Flashes

After recording just 11 assists in 34 games as a freshman, Bidunga took on a larger playmaking role this season for KU. He posted a respectable 9.7 percent assist rate, along with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 0.96-to-1, which isn’t too shabby for a rim-running 5.

Bidunga won’t dissect a defense for 40 minutes from the elbows or high post. That’s not how his game is built. But he can keep the offense humming, linking teammates through 5-out handoffs, face-up feeds and kick-outs from the post.

There have also been encouraging flashes on the short roll, when the defense double-teams the ball and allows Bidunga to slip into pockets of space.

Peterson and Bidunga run an empty-corner pick-and-roll on the left side against NC State. When Williams hedges the screen, Bidunga short rolls into space along the left baseline. His catch triggers a rotation from NC State: Ven-Allen Lubin slides over to stop the ball, while Matt Able and Tre Holloman rotate down to cover the cutters. Bidunga reads it perfectly, avoids forcing a pass and instead kicks the ball out to Council for an open look in the right slot.

According to CBB Analytics, nearly 85 percnet of Bidunga’s assists this past season led to rim finishes or 3-pointers.

The Jayhawks run their “Angle Pop Zoom” action here against Baylor, which flows into a screen-roll with White and Bidunga. Baylor’s defense is all over the place, and White hits an open Bidunga on the roll. Bidunga could probably finish at the rim, but he catches the ball a little under the basket and instead kicks it out to Elmarko Jackson for an open corner 3.

Bidunga won’t break down a defense on the short roll, but he can make the next play, including moments when he needs to put the ball on the floor for a dribble or two. He still relies on his left hand to finish, which can complicate things, but this is a smooth, tasty finish off a short roll spin move against former Charlotte Hornets draft pick James Nnaji.

If those weak-side rotations aren’t present — or if the defense fails to get back in front of him — Bidunga can also do damage in space, driving the ball straight to the basket.

These are growth areas for Bidunga. He doesn’t need to become a primary offensive hub, but the more he can help organize or facilitate offense in 5-out sets or on the short roll, the more effective he becomes as an offensive 5 who doesn’t stretch the floor.

Closing Thoughts

Flory Bidunga’s 2025-26 season firmly established him as one of the country’s most impactful two-way bigs.

While there are areas for growth — such as expanding his post-up repertoire against bulkier opponents and continuing to refine his short-roll decision-making — Bidunga’s combination of athleticism, motor and defensive feel sets him apart as a rare, multi-dimensional portal target.

With about 15 minutes left in the Sweet 16 matchup between Duke and St. John’s, sophomore guard Ian Jackson hit an elbow jumper against Duke’s zone defense to push the Red Storm into a 10-point lead, 65-55. From the outside, it looked as though a long season and an extended postseason run, compounded by two of its starters missing chunks of time, had finally caught up with Duke. The Blue Devils seemed to have run out of steam against Rick Pitino and his team’s amped-up defensive pressure.

At the risk of hyperbole, what happened next would change the course of basketball history. Look around, the ripple effects are seismic. In the madness of March, Foster — less than three weeks removed from surgery on a fractured foot — stepped up and unearthed a legacy performance.

Foster delivered 11 points (5-of-7 2PA), two assists, two crucial rebounds and no turnovers in 19 minutes of action. Facing one of the nation’s Top 10 defenses, Duke scored 1.37 points per possession with Foster on the floor (1.19 PPP without him) and shot 57.1 percent on 2-point attempts. St. John’s is one of the best defenses at turning teams over, but with Foster on the floor, Duke’s offense recorded just two turnovers.

Today and tomorrow bring more basketball. In just a few short days, the 2025–26 season will be over. It’s bittersweet. A champion will be crowned. For now, though, let’s stay in the moment and look back at a performance that will outlast whatever happens over the next 10 days: Caleb Foster’s historic outing, how Duke got him going in the second half, how he picked his spots and the monumental contributions of Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans.

Fostering a Comeback: Caleb Foster Pick-and-Roll

As Duke looked to respond to a 15-1 run by St. John’s, Jon Scheyer called for a pick-and-roll between Foster and Cam Boozer. Rather than using spread pick-and-roll — with the three off-ball players spaced beyond the arc — or an empty-corner pick-and-roll, with Foster and Boozer aligned to one side, Scheyer opted for Duke’s “3 Across” setup.

Boozer set the screen for Foster in the middle third of the floor, while three players were spaced along the baseline: Dame Sarr and Isaiah Evans in the corners, and Patrick Ngongba in the dunker spot.

3 Across and Spain

Ngongba’s positioning here is key. Instead of spacing out to the arc — and potentially bringing his defender, Zuby Ejiofor, a powerful rim protector, with him — Ngongba stays near the basket. As Foster drives downhill, Ngongba seals deep in the paint, angling his body between Ejiofor and the rim.

St. John’s defends the action well, aided by on-the-fly switching from Ejiofor and Ruben Prey. However, through a combination of length and sheer will, Duke wins two crucial offensive rebound battles: first Ngongba, then Sarr. Crashing in from the left corner, Sarr wins a contested rebound over Jackson, tips the ball to Foster,and uses his wingspan to shield off two defenders as Foster lays it in.

Duke rebound 41.4 percent of its own misses against St. John’s. This was an import factor for the Blue Devils to win. If this possession unfolds differently, and St. John’s scores on the other end, who knows what happens. Facing postseason mortality, Duke clung to life…for at least one more possession.

After a defensive stop, the Blue Devils returned to the same “3 Across” ball-screen action between Foster and Boozer, with Sarr, Ngongba and Evans spaced along the baseline: 1, 2 and 3.

Prey switched onto Foster following Boozer’s screen, but Foster still mustered enough burst to turn the corner, challenging the big man’s momentum with a slight hesitation just outside the lane. As Foster approached the rim, Ejiofor (7.2 percent block rate) shifted toward him, but before he could contest, Ngongba delivered another deep seal, allowing Foster to slip in for an uncontested layup.

This is one of the hidden benefits of the “3 Across” spacing template. While it creates more traffic in the lane — with the 5 man stationed in the dunker spot compared to a 4-around-1 spread pick-and-roll — those deep seals can generate high-percentage looks at the rim by keeping shot-blockers away from the ball.

Plus, with no offensive players spaced on the wings — Sarr and Evans are in the corners — the ball handler has a double gap to attack on either side of the floor. There’s no help defender one pass away waiting to rotate over.

Following a made jumper by Dylan Darling against Duke’s zone, St. John’s pushed its lead back to eight. To counter Darling’s full-court pressure on Foster, Ngongba set a bone-crushing screen, helping Foster get the ball across the timeline. Darling (6-1, 175) recovered to get back in front, but Foster (6-5, 205) showed impressive strength and determination, powering his way to the basket.

Let’s be clear: this is an absurd play by Foster, who manages to keep his pivot foot down — the same right foot he fractured three weeks ago — while shot-faking and finishing over a smaller defender.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. On the next trip down the floor, Scheyer goes back to the same call: “3 Across” with Foster, Boozer and Ngongba, plus Nik Khamenia and Darren Harris spaced in the corners.

This time, St. John’s opts not to switch the action: Bryce Hopkins stays with the screening Boozer, while Oziyah Sellers fights over the screen. Sellers does a solid job of staying attached to Foster, who doesn’t quite have his usual burst. Foster compensates with some of his tightest ball-handling and strength, changing tempo with a live-ball crossover to create separation, then slamming back into Sellers to draw the foul.

Trailing by five following an Ejiofor miss, Foster pushes the ball up the floor for another middle ball-screen with Boozer. This time, instead of “3 Across,” Duke, with Scheyer signaling the call by tapping his head, runs its Spain (or “Tap”) pick-and-roll. Ngongba clears out of the lane as Harris lifts to set a back screen on Dillon Mitchell, Boozer’s defender.

The back screen ends up being superfluous. After repeatedly allowing Foster to get downhill to his dominant right hand, St. John’s adjusts its coverage. This time, Pitino has his defense “weak” Boozer’s pick for Foster: Mitchell up close to the level of the screen and Darling angling his body between Foster and Boozer. The goal is to force Foster left, toward his weaker hand, hence the name.

One of the most effective counters to this aggressive “weak” coverage is to outlet the ball to the screener on a short roll, moving away from the defender. Foster makes the simple read and finds Boozer in space. Boozer drives downhill with inside leverage on Mitchell, while Ngongba helps neutralize Ejiofor as a rim protector by cutting toward the left corner.

On the next trip down, the Blue Devils return to “3 Across”: Foster, Boozer and Ngongba. As Boozer pops to the left slot, Ngongba cuts to the opposite dunker spot.

Darling tries to funnel Foster to his weaker left hand, but Duke’s point guard again uses his size and craft to get where he wants. Foster spins off Darling’s pressure at the point of attack and returns to his right hand, with Boozer holding his ground to screen Darling. With Darling a step behind, Mitchell has to slide further left to contain Foster, opening up space for Boozer on the pop. Boozer attacks Mitchell’s closeout, drives into the paint and grabs his own miss for a put-back layup that cuts Duke’s deficit to four.

On the next half-court possession, following Boozer’s layup, Duke returned to its zone defense. With Khamenia providing a solid contest atop the zone, Darling’s late-clock heave misses. As the loose ball bounces toward the left corner, Ejiofor (12.2 percent offensive rebound rate) scrambles to grab it. Foster, however, has other plans; the junior guard beats Ejiofor to the spot. Even without getting two hands on the ball, Foster manages to slap it out of bounds off Ejiofor, earning Duke another offensive possession.

Special stuff from Foster, who empties the bucket to secure a contested rebound against one of the nation’s top offensive rebounders.

Following Foster’s valiant effort, Duke runs more Spain/Tap pick-and-roll, with Scheyer and Boozer signaling the play call.

St. John’s tries to force Foster to his left hand with Darling’s positioning, so Foster takes the low-hanging fruit: he finds Boozer on the short roll, just as he did two possessions earlier.

Boozer’s short-roll drive draws extra attention this time, though. As Hopkins recovers, Ejiofor slides over to help, too, leaving Ngongba open in the left dunker spot. Boozer sees Ngongba and, as he has dozens of times this season, tries to hit him for a big-to-big passing sequence.

Boozer’s pass to Ngongba is off the mark, though, which pulls Duke’s center away from the rim to collect it. For a moment, the defense is able to reset. But that moment vanishes, thanks to Khamenia. As Mitchell ball-watches in the right corner, his attention is focused on Ngongba, not Khamenia. The freshman forward takes advantage, cutting into the lane.

This is a heady off-ball read from Khamenia. It takes Ngongba a half-second to recognize the cut, but he spots Khamenia and hits him for a finish in the lane, with Mitchell unable to get back into the play.

With about three minutes to play, Duke’s defense is back in its man-to-man scheme. The Blue Devils get one of the their biggest stops of the game: Brown helps contest a 3-point attempt from Sellers as he comes off a screen from Ejiofor. Foster reads the missed shot off the rim and wins a race to the corner to collect the long rebound.

This is the kind of “heart of a champion” performance you expect from Foster. His 11 points and two assists off the bench were legendary, but it was his effort and courage in securing those two long rebounds that really stood out. Those defensive plays set the stage for Foster to hit one of the biggest shots of his career.

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Horns Ghost Ricky

With just over 90 seconds left, Duke reset its half-court offense, and Scheyer signaled a play out of the Horns series. I call this action “Horns Ghost Ricky,” a go-to design for Evans. The play begins with Foster initiating the offense up top, Duke in a Horns set and Evans stationed at the right elbow. Evans fakes a ball screen for Foster, then “ghosts” out to the left wing, slips the screen and runs off a flare screen from Brown.

Evans doesn’t continue toward the sideline off Brown’s flare screen. He stops abruptly along the left wing and cuts back toward the middle of the floor off a re-screen (“Ricky”) pindown from Brown. St. John’s may have even scouted the play: Sellers, guarding Sarr in the left corner, points out the action to his teammates.

Concerned with Evans, who was red-hot at this point, coming off the screen into space, Mitchell and Ejiofor communicate a switch. Mitchell takes Brown while Ejiofor slides over to guard Evans. The exchange works perfectly as a decoy for Duke. With Mitchell and Ejiofor focused on Evans’ off-ball movement, they leave Darling isolated against Foster.

You know what happens next. Foster blows past Darling with a nasty crossover dribble. Hopkins hesitates to help off Boozer in the strong-side corner, which would’ve opened up an easy kick-out pass, and with Mitchell and Ejiofor occupied, there’s no weak-side rim protection. Despite not having two fully healthy wheels, Foster explodes downhill and finishes through contact for a huge bucket.

Here’s the same Horns Ghost Ricky set in another tight, late-game scenario against Florida. The Gators defend it well, so Duke flows into its 5-out offense mid-possession, and Boozer ends up with an open pick-and-pop 3 after setting a back screen for Evans.

Old Reliable: Cam Boozer and Isaiah Evans

Foster was the spark plug for Duke’s win over St. John’s, but he wasn’t the only Blue Devil who came alive as a second-half pick-and-roll scorer or creator. Once again, the inverted pick-and-roll game with Cam Boozer and Isaiah Evans proved to be a crucial source of clutch offense. Given the circumstance, Evans put together one of the most shot-making games of his career, which is saying something: 25 points on 15 attempts, including four 3-pointers.

When Foster was subbed out at the 9:24 mark of the second half, Boozer got the keys to the car. On the very first offensive possession sans Foster, Duke went to inverted pick-and-roll with Cam Boozer-Evans on the right side of the floor — with an empty corner. As Boozer drove into the paint, the St. John’s defense converged, doubling him in the lane with Joson Sanon, which created a kick-out to Cayden Boozer on the left wing. The defense rotated toward Cayden, who made the extra pass and quickly redirected the ball to Evans. Sanon had ground to coverage on his closeout back to Evans, who took advantage by shot-faking and getting to the midrange for a pull-up 2.

On the next trip up the floor, Duke’s offense quickly flows from its “L” series into more inverted pick-and-roll with Boozer and Evans: another go-to action. St. John’s switches, but Hopkins drifts too far from Evans, leaving an open pick-and-pop 3 from the left slot.

This shot (temporarily) gave Duke the lead and highlighted a notable breakdown from Hopkins. The whole point of switching this action is to keep the ball in front, stay in rotation, and deny Evans an easy catch-and-shoot opportunity on the pop.

3 Across Inverted: Fist 4

The Blue Devils will use the inverted screening action between Boozer and Evans in their 3 Across setup, too.

This has been the case all season: no defense has found a reliable answer for the Boozer-Evans ball screen. If the defense switches, Duke can attack the mismatch; if it shows and recovers, Duke can attack the open space. The action is built to produce quality looks.

On this possession, Mitchell starts on Boozer. As Evans sets the screen, Mitchell fights over and stays with Boozer for a dribble — until it’s called out that he’s supposed to switch, with Sanon stepping out on Boozer.

If the coverage is programmed to switch, it’s trouble for the defense when the switch defender’s first step goes the wrong way. Mitchell now has to cover ground to get back to Evans, who has made big strides as a slasher this season. He knows a hard closeout will create catch-and-go opportunities. Evans shot-fakes, blows by Mitchell and uses another seal from Ngongba to get space near the rim, with Ejiofor once again unable to provide weak-side rim protection.

Ngongba really was an unsung hero in this game with his ability to clear space around the basket.

Less than two minutes later, Duke flows back into more inverted ball screen action with Evans and Boozer in 3 Across. The Red Storm defend much better on this possession, but Boozer is just a load to deal with: he still gets downhill against Hopkins and scores in the paint.

At the 4-minute mark, Duke runs more of the same with Boozer and Evans. St. John’s does an excellent job of bottling up the initial action. No matter: Evans and Boozer flow back into middle-third screening action, with Brown in the dunker spot and Evans now handling the ball. Evans rejects the re-screen and creates space from Jackson with a massive step-back 3-pointer.

Evans has now hit 10 unassisted 3-pointers this season, second most on Duke’s roster. Cam Boozer leads with 12.

At the risk of beating a dead horse, Duke runs the same play on the next possession. Instead of fighting through, St. John’s opts to switch the screen. Boozer lines up Jackson on the switch and overpowers the former UNC guard en route to the rim for an and-one finish.

Boozer has 32 and-one finishes this season, per CBB Analytics, which is 20 more than any other player on Duke’s roster.

Given their combined effort in generating second-half offense, it was only fitting that Boozer helped set up one of Foster’s field goals.

On this baseline-under possession, the Blue Devils run staggered ball-screen action for Boozer: Brown and Evans lift up the right side, while Foster and Sarr space out to the left corner.

Boozer rejects the staggered ball screens and attacks the left-side gap. His drive forces the two weak-side defenders to slide over, opening a kick-out to Foster in the corner. Mitchell flies by on the closeout, but Foster fakes him out and settles into a smooth midrange pull-up jumper.

“The Game is the Game”

Perhaps I’m connecting two unrelated dots, but the timing of Foster’s performance feels significant. In a week when the biggest story in men’s college basketball centered on a now-former ACC coach abandoning ship and running from a challenge while crying poor, it’s a reminder of Foster’s fortitude. The juxtaposition is profound.

Life in the fishbowl of playing point guard for Duke basketball isn’t for everyone. It can be hard. Over his three college seasons, Foster has battled injuries and endured a high-profile benching. I was in Cameron Indoor Stadium last season when — in the final home game — Foster was the only player, including walk-ons, who didn’t see the floor in Duke’s 33-point demolition of Wake Forest. That night, with his role in the rotation having dwindled for months, it seemed like his time in Durham was all but over.

Foster worked his way back into the lineup and proved to be an integral piece down the stretch last season — mostly as an energy guy off the bench. He stepped into a larger role this year and delivered the best basketball of his life.

Now, one year later, he’s a hero: the guy who stuck with it, playing through who knows how much pain to try and will Duke — his dream school — back to another Final Four. It’s an incredible story, a testament to his work ethic and Duke’s culture.

I’ll spare you the pearl-clutching over player and coach movement in major college sports. With some exceptions, I just don’t care that much. Players — the ones who make this billion-dollar industry what it is with their labor — should be compensated and have the right to move freely. The game is the game: even acknowledging its own absurdities, I’m willing to tolerate the disjointedness of college athletics if it means athletes have compensation and agency. I’m far less generous to those who leach off the sport.

Still, Foster’s growth as a player, his commitment to Duke’s program, and his willingness to believe in and sacrifice for the collective are commendable. There’s a lesson here. It’s a reminder that he has more courage, integrity and emotional maturity than many of the men and women — more than twice his age — who lord over these sports with impunity.

So, a big salute is in order for Caleb Foster. He earned this moment. Let’s see if he has another one up his scooter — I mean, sleeve.

Read on for a detailed look at Duke’s offensive approach against TCU, including strategies to counter TCU’s pressure, Ngongba’s role as a high-post passing force and a healthy dose of Point Cam.

Tic Tac Toe: Duke’s Short-Space Passing

TCU’s Top 25 defense thrived this season on its ability to create havoc. Jamie Dixon’s team ranked in the Top 35 nationally in both opponent turnover rate (19.6 percent) and block rate (12.6 percent). Those metrics fueled a TCU offense that scored 11.3 points per game off turnovers (84th percentile), according to CBB Analytics.

The Horned Frogs generated all that chaos despite lacking elite size. According to KenPom’s weighted height metric, TCU ranked 322nd nationally in average height. As a result, the team relied heavily on ball pressure and active, swarming defense to produce that level of disruption.

There is a tradeoff, though. This degree of pressure comes at a cost. Offenses can exploit a defense that sends two defenders to the ball in pick-and-rolls, the post and off-ball actions. Jon Scheyer and his staff had counters lined up and ready.

Here’s Duke’s first bucket of the game. The Blue Devils open the possession in their “Thru” series: Cayden Boozer passes to Isaiah Evans on the right side, then cuts through the lane and pops back out to the left wing as the ball swings his way.

Evans then centers the ball to Maliq Brown at the top of the floor. Brown keeps it moving by dribble over to Boozer and flipping a pass in his direction, setting up an empty-corner pick-and-roll between Duke’s point guard and center.

This is where TCU’s two bigs — Xavier Edmonds and David Punch — spring into action. Edmonds blitzes Boozer on the ball screen, forcing him out toward midcourt, with point guard Brock Harding also pressuring the ball. Brown short-rolls into space, but that real estate is quickly swallowed up by Punch, who leaves Cameron Boozer to tag Brown.

Here’s where a key element of TCU’s pressure scheme comes into play: tagging the short roller and taking away the easiest outlet for a ball handler facing a double team at the top of the floor. The Blue Devils, however, are ready for this tactic. To counter, Duke “shorts” the coverage: Cam Boozer, instead of remaining stationary near the post, cuts to the nail in the middle of the floor, presenting himself as an outlet for his brother.

As soon as Cam receives the ball, TCU’s defense is exposed: it’s a 3-on-2 with an elite frontcourt passer and processor in the middle of the floor. Punch tries to recover to Cam Boozer, while Micah Robinson stunts toward him, momentarily leaving Dame Sarr in the right corner. Brown continues his cut to the basket, with Edmonds nowhere near recovering. Cayden Boozer finds Cam, who quickly redirects the ball with a volleyball-style set pass to Brown for a lob dunk.

I’m telling you: this is exactly how Duke drew it up. Tic-tac-toe basketball. Also, this kind of cutting and passing shows how an offense can exploit the right spots on the floor against a trap. In fact, Scheyer has used this same “short” tactic in the past to counter hard-hedging defenses.

From Duke’s blowout 2024 win over Virginia: Jordan Minor hedges out on Kyle Filipowski’s slot ball screen for Jeremy Roach. As that happens, Sean Stewart — like Cam Boozer — lifts up the floor as an outlet. Roach passes to Stewart, who quickly redirects the ball to Filipowski, continuing his roll to the rim, similar to Brown against TCU.

This kind of augmented short-space passing was also part of Duke’s baseline-under package against TCU. Jon Scheyer has a deep playbook for these situations, but one of his go-to options on baseline-out-of-bounds plays is simply clearing one side of the floor and letting Cam Boozer work in isolation off the inbound pass.

Normally, after throwing the entry pass to Boozer, the inbound passer will cut to the opposite side of the floor, like Caleb Foster does here at Stanford.

Against TCU, the Blue Devils made a slight alteration: Duke had the inbound passer feed the ball to Cam Boozer and take a single step onto the court — staying on the right side of the floor, ready as a potential outlet against the double team.

On this possession, Cayden passes to Cam, who draws two defenders toward the right corner, including TCU guard Jayden Pierre, who started the play defending Cayden.

This leaves no TCU defender on Duke’s point guard as he steps into an open pocket in the right short corner. Cam quickly passes back to Cayden, and this give-and-go from the Blue Devils triggers another defensive rotation: David Punch comes off Brown, who is at the nail, to guard Cayden.

Of course, this leaves Brown momentarily open, and he smartly cuts to the basket, slipping behind Punch’s rotation and before Tanner Toolson can rotate off Darren Harris in the weak-side corner to provide help in the paint.

The Blue Devils have to work efficiently to stay ahead of TCU’s rotations, but Cayden, Cam and Maliq are quick processors. They do an excellent job creating, building and capitalizing off the initial advantage.

Dealing With Pressure: Burst A Pipe Or Make A Diamond

TCU heats things up whenever the opportunity arises. This defense aims to put two on the ball not only on post-ups and ball screens but also on off-ball actions; Dixon wants his team applying pressure everywhere. That means offensive players coming off down screens can expect a second defender — the screen defender — lunging toward them.

Opposing offenses can counter these coverages with aggressive curls and fades, re-screen actions and slips, where the would-be screener cuts toward the basket just before making contact with the defender. Ohio State showcased a few of these tactics during their opening-round matchup against TCU, presenting a blueprint of sorts for how to unlock off-ball activity against the pressure.

In the second half. Ohio State comes out in its “Iverson Ricky” action, which starts with shooting guard John Mobley (41.1 3P%) cutting across the lane over two Iverson screens from the 4 and 5.

As Mobley cuts toward the right wing, point guard Bruce Thornton kicks the ball out to power forward Amare Bynum at the left elbow. Mobley then changes the angle of his cut, curling off Christoph Tilly’s screen toward the ball. This motion opens up a potential back-cut opportunity for Mobley, with Bynum positioned at the opposite elbow.

Instead of cutting all the way to the rim, Mobley brakes sharply and — while Tilly swivels his hips the other way — runs back up the floor off a down screen from the 7-foot center.

This re-screen sequence — the back screen into a down screen — is known in basketball circles as “Ricky” action. Toolson is caught off guard, left trailing as Mobley cuts back toward the ball. With the screen defender Edmonds showing on the ball, Mobley at least has a hand in his face.

Mobley is a talented shooter with deep range, and he knocks down this 3-ball despite the contest. Equally noteworthy on this possession is how open Tilly is after setting the re-screen pindown. Mobley is rewarded for calling his own number, but Ohio State knows it can also get the screener open on a basket cut.

Later in the second half, the Buckeyes return to the same action: Iverson Ricky, this time with Thornton (another outstanding 3-point shooter) acting as the off-ball mover. Just before forward Devin Royal sets the re-screen down screen, anticipating that Robinson will step out to pressure Thornton, he slips to the rim.

Like a tight end running a skinny post up the seam, Royal slips into space behind the defense, and Amare Bynum delivers the pass for an easy layup.

Two days later, Duke looked to exploit the same vulnerabilities in TCU’s off-ball defense.

After a timeout with about five minutes remaining in the first half, the Blue Devils ran what I’ve called their “Triangle” or “Wave” series this season, which I detailed back in early February. The series begins with Evans in the far corner, while the 5 and 4 set up on his side of the floor to run staggered down screens for the shooter coming out of the corner.

The Blue Devils utilize a variety of plays out of this Wave setup, including “Floppy” action for Evans, which is what they ran on this possession. Evans rejects the down screens from Cam Boozer and Brown, cutting down toward the rim and positioning himself under the basket. Brown lifts above the arc in the middle of the floor and runs a quick give-and-go with Cayden Boozer.

As soon as Brown flips the ball back to Cayden, he cuts toward the right side of the floor. With Evans deep in the paint, Duke sets up a single-double alignment for Floppy action: Evans can choose to cut toward the left wing off staggered down screens from Cam Boozer and Nik Khamenia, or toward the right side off a single down screen from Brown.

Evans chooses Brown’s side and cuts off the screen, drawing the attention of two TCU defenders: Pierre, who trails him around Brown’s pindown, and Edmonds, who comes off Brown to pressure the passing lane and contest a potential pass to Evans. With Evans occupying two defenders, Brown is left open in space and takes advantage by slipping toward the basket.

In theory, Robinson would be positioned on the weak side to deny an over-the-top pass to Brown. However, with Cam Boozer setting a decoy down screen on the left side for Khamenia, Robinson is pulled away as a back-line helper. Cayden Boozer and Brown are perfectly on the same page: Boozer threads a laser pass through the teeth of the defense, finding Brown for a cutting dunk at the rim.

Welcome Back, Pat

Duke received a major boost before its matchup with TCU with the return of sophomore center Patrick Ngongba. Simply put, Ngongba is one of the top players and NBA prospects in the country: a two-way force at the center position who can protect the rim, clean the glass and dissect defenses with his 5-out face-up passing.

In his 13 minutes of action, Duke outscored TCU by 20 points, posting an offensive rating of 1.31 points per possession, according to CBB Analytics. Ngongba contributed four points (2-of-2 FGA), grabbed four rebounds, dished out four assists and blocked a shot.

With Duke trailing by two early in the second half, Scheyer called a timeout at the 16:11 mark and subbed in Ngongba and Khamenia. Out of the timeout, needing a play, Scheyer put the ball in Ngongba’s hands. Duke ran its “Elbow” action: a pass to Ngongba at the right elbow, followed by a back screen for Cam Boozer set by Evans.

Punch doesn’t see Evans coming, as the sophomore wing smacks him with a great back screen. Toolson stays attached to Evans, and now Duke has the defense lifted, the ball in the hands of a top-flight frontcourt passing hub and Boozer cutting downhill into open space. Once again, this is exactly how Duke drew it up.

The Blue Devils boast one of the best offenses in the country when it comes to lifting opposing defenses with their 5-out scheme and high-post passers: Boozer, Ngongba and Brown. These concepts create opportunities to pull rim protectors away from the hoop and, against an aggressive defense like TCU, serve as a way to counteract the pressure on the ball and the various screening actions.

Duke ran the same Elbow action again less than two minutes later. This time, TCU defended it more effectively, but the Blue Devils found rhythm in their flow game, and Evans was able to drive downhill for the finish and draw a foul.

On Duke’s next offensive possession, the Blue Devils ran their “L” Series: Evans slides from the left corner to the opposite wing as Ngongba moves up to the top of the key. After a pass to Ngongba from Cayden Boozer, Duke is back in its 5-out alignment, with Ngongba in the middle of the floor and screening action occurring on both sides.

Working against TCU’s overplay, Duke’s off-ball movement orbits around Ngongba with dual back screens: Khamenia for Evans and Cam Boozer for Cayden Boozer. Once again, Robinson is positioned above Cam’s screen for Cayden, challenging the pass, while Harding fights over and stays attached to Cayden. Help defenders on the right side are occupied with Evans and Khamenia, who are screening and spacing beyond the arc.

Cam sets a study back screen, creating separation between Cayden and Harding, and with Robinson pulled up the floor, there’s no one near the basket to help on the cut. Ngongba sees Cayden breaking free and delivers for the layup.

As Duke’s lead widened, the Blue Devils started to tap into hi-lo activity between Cam Boozer and Ngongba, with the offense continuing to flow through Ngongba’s high-post touches.

With under eight minutes to play, Duke set up in a Box formation: Evans and Sarr at the low blocks, with Cam Boozer and Ngongba at the elbows. The play is designed to feed Ngongba in the left slot and then run another back screen for Boozer, set by Evans.

Cayden Boozer enters the ball to Ngongba and cuts down to the left corner, with Ngongba faking a handoff back in his direction. Sarr trails, zipping up the right side of the floor before curling out to the left wing. Meanwhile, Evans lifts and is ready to set the back screen on Robinson for Cam Boozer.

TCU opts to switch this screen, though, placing the 6-foot-5, 174-pound Toolson in a mismatch in the post against Boozer (6-9, 250). What happens next is Duke making an automatic read against this matchup: Boozer seals Toolson in the post as the other four Blue Devils space above the arc. The table is set for big-to-big hi-lo action.

Ngongba has time and plenty of room to throw a lollipop hi-lo post-entry feed over the top of the defense. Harding comes off Cayden Boozer to try and deter the pass, but Cam does a nice job high-pointing the ball and coming down for an easy finish.

With TCU grasping at straws, the Horned Frogs switched to a 2-3 zone. Duke immediately responded: Ngongba flashed to the nail and Cam Boozer sealed at the right block, leading to another improvised lob pass over the top for a layup.

Ngongba has 23 assists to Cam Boozer this season — 11 more than his next closest link-up: 12 assists from Ngongba to Evans. With these two on the floor, Duke has been special: +340 in 532 minutes, scoring 1.29 points per possession on offense and holding opponents to 0.90 points per possession on defense. Their talents speak for themselves, but over the course of the season, their chemistry has developed as Duke’s staff has found more ways to synchronize their skill sets.

Point Cam

In the five postseason games without Foster, Cayden Boozer has stepped up in a big way. Thrust into a larger role in a string of must-win games, he’s played with confidence and poise. There have been some bumps and bruises, but Cayden has delivered, averaging 34.8 minutes, 13.8 points, and 3.2 assists to 1.8 turnovers per game. Over those contests, Duke has a +49 in 174 minutes with Cayden on the floor, scoring just under 1.19 points per possession.

Cayden isn’t the only Boozer brother forced to increase his on-ball contributions since Foster left the UNC game with a fractured foot. Cam Boozer has adapted his game to meet the moment, serving as a playmaker for Duke in 5-out sets, post-ups and pick-and-roll actions.

Over the last five games, according to InStat, Cameron Boozer has averaged 3.6 used possessions per game as a pick-and-roll ball handler, accounting for 19.4 percent of his total possessions — both increases from the first 31 games of the season, when he averaged 1.5 pick-and-roll possessions per game and 8.6 percent of his total used possessions.

He’s also averaged 2.0 used isolation possessions per game over this five-game sample, up from 1.0 per game in the first 31 contests.

According to my charting data, Duke ran 10 pick-and-roll possessions with Cameron Boozer as the primary ball handler against TCU, scoring 14 points: 1.40 points per possession. Some of these came during the brief first-half stretch when Cayden Boozer was on the bench.

Duke’s primary pick-and-roll look with Cam as the ball handler against TCU was an inverted version of its “3 Across” spacing template. One of the guards — Isaiah Evans in this case — sets a screen for Cam, while three players space along the baseline, including the 5 positioned near the rim in one of the two dunker spots.

All season, opponents have struggled to find the right coverage for the Cam Boozer–Evans inverted pick-and-roll. Duke deliberately involved TCU’s smallest defender — Harding (6-0, 160) — as the screen defender: Evans lifts to set the pick on Punch. TCU initially had Harding show hard on Boozer before attempting to scramble back to Evans, who popped out to the left wing.

Harding sticks with Boozer and tries to route him back up the floor, but this buys more time and space for Evans, one of the quickest shots in college hoops. When Boozers passes left to Evans, Harding must scramble on the closeout. Evans shot-fakes, gets Harding in the air and then leans into the defender to draw contact and earn a four-point play.

One minute later, the Blue Devils organize their half-court offense with Point Cam in the same 3 Across setup. TCU has different defensive matchups, though: Pierre is on Evans in the left corner, while Harding is now on Sarr. Once again, Harding is the defender with a target on his back. Duke wants him involved as the screen defender, so Sarr is the one called in to set the pick for Cam in the middle of the floor.

As Cam rejects Sarr’s screen, he drives downhill to the left side. Ngongba sees Cam’s drive and cuts from the left dunker spot to the right side of the paint. Pierre face-guards and refuses to help off Evans in the strong-side corner, which would create an easy kick-out for a corner 3. So when Edmonds slides over to help on Cam’s drive, Duke’s center is open with inside position on the doorstep of the rim.

Punch and Edmonds make it difficult for Cam by applying pressure in a tightly compacted quadrant of the court; however, Duke’s star forward still manages to deliver a lob pass over the top, which Ngongba showcases his touch by redirecting into the rim for a close-quarters alley-oop.

Sarr Shoutout and Next Up!

It’s worth highlighting just how impressive Sarr was against TCU — arguably the best two-way performance of his career. The freshman wing helped swing the game with relentless ball pressure while (as always) excelling at the dirty work: eight rebounds, two steals and a block.

As the cherry on top, Sarr showcased some of the finest shooting since arriving in Durham, knocking down a career-high four 3-pointers. When the Blue Devils gets this type of offensive production from the wings — Sarr, Khamenia and Harris — they become very tough to beat.

Stay tuned for a Duke-St. John’s preview later this week!

After finishing with losing records in the 2024-25 season, it was a remarkable turnaround for both programs. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Both teams saw their 2025-26 seasons come to a close on Sunday. Virginia rallied against Tennessee — and even briefly led late — before falling to the Vols, while Miami came up just short against a Purdue team that appears to be peaking at the right time.

Let’s take a look at the key hinge points from those two second-round matchups, including the play of two of the ACC’s top freshmen — Chance Mallory and Shelton Henderson — and why the future looks bright for both programs.

UVA vs. Tennessee: 3 Across

In Ryan Odom’s first season as head coach in Charlottesville, Virginia’s Top 20 defense held opponents to just 1.04 points per possession, according to CBB Analytics. There were only five games this season in which the Cavaliers allowed more than 1.2 points per possession. Unfortunately for Odom, one of those games came in the finale: Tennessee scored 1.21 points per possession and knocked UVA out of the tournament.

When facing Tennessee and Rick Barnes, a defense must be prepared for secondary breaks, off-ball motion, Floppy action and the team’s go-to pick-and-roll look: 3 Across.

3 Across is a ball-screen action that takes place in the middle third of the floor, with one of the bigs screening for a guard. Instead of spacing the three off-ball players around the arc, the opposite big sets up near the basket while the two off-ball guards space to the corners.

Tennessee ran some version of 3 Across 12 times against Virginia, according to my charting — far more than any other pick-and-roll action. The Vols also found success with the play, largely thanks to the playmaking and pull-up shooting of Ja’Kobi Gillespie: 21 points and six assists in 38 minutes of action.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie’s 3-point percentage (34.5 3P%) is slightly down from his previous two seasons at Belmont and Maryland, but he remains a powerful high-volume shooter. He currently ranks fifth among high-major players with 281 3-point attempts and has made 20 more unassisted threes than the next-closest player on Tennessee’s roster, per CBB Analytics. With Nate Ament struggling this season, if any Tennessee player is going to beat a defense off the dribble, it’s Gillespie.

The Cavaliers primarily play drop coverage, deploying their centers several feet below the level of the screen. Often, Virginia has its bigs hang back and sit in the paint — even against strong pull-up shooters like Jordan Pope of Texas.

Normally, Odom prefers to maintain his defensive shell and rely on the guard defender to fight over the screen and contest the 3-point attempt from behind. However, Gillespie’s pull-up shooting clearly had Virginia a little geeked out.

For example, as Gillespie dribbles off Felix Okpara’s screen in 3 Across, Dallin Hall fights over the pick while Ugonna Onyenso takes a big step toward the 3-point line to apply a contest on Gillespie.

That extension from Onyenso may seem small, but it speaks volumes for UVA. When the defense bends like this toward the gravity of a pull-up shooter, it can soften the shell and create openings for other offensive players all over the floor.

On Tennessee’s next trip down the court, it’s more 3 Across for Gillespie. With DeWayne Brown setting the pick, Onyenso takes another big step out of the lane, while Hall shows early help at the nail, coming off Bishop Boswell on the right wing. Jacari White fights over the screen, leaving three UVA defenders focused squarely on Gillespie.

Virginia has really sold out on Gillespie, and there’s a cost to such an aggressive approach: Boswell (39.4 3P%) is left wide open on the wing. Gillespie makes the simple read and kicks it out to Boswell for an uncontested triple.

Down the stretch of the game, Odom chose to adjust his pick-and-roll coverage, shifting from drop to bringing the big up to the level of the ball screen and hedging on Gillespie. Here, Onyenso hedges Okpara’s screen for Gillespie well above the arc — a notable departure from his usual drop approach.

Virginia has used this coverage at times this season when more pressure on the ball is needed. As UVA desperately tried to snatch a victory from Tennessee and prolong its season, the defense fully committed to forcing the ball out of Gillespie’s hands. It was no longer enough to simply apply more attention to his off-dribble jumper.

Tennessee’s offense has limited secondary creation, but Gillespie is highly skilled and still managed to generate quality looks for his teammates.

Unconcerned with a pull-up jumper, Johann Grunloh begins this possession in drop coverage as Ament dribbles right off an empty-corner ball screen, while White goes under the screen.

Tennessee re-screens for Ament, but the possession remains rudderless — going nowhere until the ball is reset to Gillespie at the top of the key. This time, Grunloh hard hedges the 3 Across action between Gillespie and Okpara, putting two defenders on the ball and opening a lane for Okpara to roll to the rim. Chance Mallory rotates off Boswell on the weak-side wing to tag Okpara and prevent a clean pass to the rolling big.

Virginia seemingly has this thing bottled up, but with the shot clock winding down, Gillespie is able to navigate his way around the hedge from Grunloh, who is a pretty smooth lateral mover for a 5-man but more accustomed to dropping below the screen. This buys time and space for Gillespie who can now see the floor; he spots an open Boswell, shaking up the floor. Gillespie flings a perfect skip pass and Boswell drills the 3 before Mallory can scamper back out and contest.

In the late stages of the game, as UVA ramped up its pressure, the hard hedge against Gillespie began to pay off.

With under three minutes to play, Gillespie and Okpara run a re-screen action out of Tennessee’s 3 Across look. As the dynamic point guard drives around Okpara’s second screen, he steps on his teammate’s foot, slips and loses control of the ball. Unsurprisingly, Mallory is first to the floor, diving to secure the loose ball and create a transition opportunity for UVA.

After a timeout, with Virginia up one, Grunloh hard hedged another ball screen against Gillespie, forcing the ball into the hands of Ament. For a moment, that’s a win for UVA. But as Tennessee’s motion offense cycled the ball back to Ament, working off a down screen near the right elbow, Virginia caught a tough break. Ament jabbed and drove past White, where Grunloh was waiting in the paint. The freshman wing then took one of the most exaggerated pro hops you’ll see in this year’s NCAA Tournament, somehow avoided a travel and even drew a foul, earning a trip to the free throw line.

This call played a big role in the outcome of this contest. It’s tough, but that’s the breaks of the game.

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Mallory Allegory: More Than A Fighting Chance

During the ACC Tournament in Charlotte, Mallory put together an outstanding stretch, recording 11 assists and zero turnovers across 69 minutes, though UVA came up just short against Duke in the title game.

Mallory’s two-game NCAA Tournament showing was less efficient and productive. He finished with just two points (1-of-4 FGA), one turnover and no assists in the first-round matchup against Wright State. However, in the final game of his freshman season, Mallory reaffirmed why he’s one of the top rookie guards in the country.

Facing the size and experience of Tennessee, Mallory didn’t deliver his most efficient performance, but he competed and flashed his upside with four or five “wow” plays that showcased his handle, strength as a downhill driver and decision-making.

Late in the shot clock during this first-half possession against the Vols, Ugonna Onyenso initiates 5-out Zoom action. Mallory comes off a down screen from White and into a handoff from the 7-footer. Recognizing Tennessee’s coverage, he’s prepared when JP Estrella hedges on the ball screen, countering with a smooth split to get downhill. With the clock winding down, Mallory gets into the paint with ease and kicks it out to Sam Lewis for an open 3-point attempt.

Lewis misses the shot, but this is Mallory creating something out of nothing — manufacturing an open corner look for a 40-percent 3-point shooter.

As a freshman, Mallory assisted on 63 3-pointers (2.9per 40 minutes), including 43 above-the-break 3s and 20 from the corners — both totals ranking second on the roster behind Hall.

Mallory projects as an outstanding piece for Odom to build around. He’s already very good, and his shooting should continue to improve. With increased playing time and usage next season, he’s in line for a significant jump in raw production.

Moreover, playing alongside Mallory should be a key selling point for UVA as Odom enters a critical phase of roster construction. With Virginia looking to add shooting and scoring to its guard/wing rotation this offseason, clips and numbers like this strengthen the pitch: come to Virginia, Mallory will get you easy shots.

Of course, Mallory can use his full toolbox to create his own offense as well. He averaged 9.9 unassisted points per 40 minutes this season, ranking third on the roster behind Malik Thomas and Thijs De Ridder. Moreover, just 18.6 percent of his two-point field goals were assisted — the lowest rate on the team.

Out of a timeout later in the first half, Virginia runs its “Iverson Spain” action. Malik Thomas cuts across Iverson screens from Devin Tillis and Onyenso, while White lifts from the right corner to serve as the back screener in the set’s next phase: a Spain pick-and-roll.

Tennessee defends Onyenso’s ball screen by having Brown hedge, routing Mallory back up the floor and toward the sideline. It’s hard to speed him up, though. Mallory patiently waits for Brown to recover, then attacks Gillespie in space, using a subtle left-handed hesitation move to turn the corner. As Mallory gets into the paint, Onyenso does a terrific job sealing Brown, who also has to navigate White’s back screen. With separation from both Brown and Gillespie, Mallory finishes with a reverse layup, getting the ball off the glass before Okpara can rotate down for the block.

What he lacks in size, the 5-foot-10 Mallory makes up for with craft. He also flashed the ability to utilize a “Nash dribble” this season. Named after NBA legend Steve Nash, it’s a controlled tactic in which a player keeps the dribble alive, goes under the basket and emerges on the other side of the lane — rather than picking it up or forcing a finish over size.

It’s an especially effective tool for smaller ball handlers like Mallory, allowing them to avoid low-percentage attempts against rim protectors. Keeping the dribble alive can also stretch the defense and create new angles for cuts or kick-out passes.

After a Bruce Thornton field goal, Virginia runs an empty-corner drag pick-and-roll with Mallory and Grunloh against Ohio State. The Buckeyes “down” the action, with guard Gabe Cupps funneling Mallory toward the right sideline and center Christoph Tilly dropping below the level of the screen.

As Mallory approaches the rim, he doesn’t appear to have many quality passing options, despite having two defenders on the ball: Cupps and Tilly. Ohio State’s weak-side defenders stay home as well, eliminating the chance for a kick-out to a spot-up 3. With the 7-foot Tilly on him, Mallory also has little chance of finishing on the right side of the hoop.

Mallory could have tried a drop-off pass to Grunloh. Instead, he keeps his dribble alive, drives under the basket and pulls both Cupps and Tilly with him. More importantly, this “Nash” maneuver resets the floor and opens a kick-out to the trailing De Ridder in the right slot.

De Ridder could easily step into a catch-and-shoot 3 off Mallory’s kick-out. That’s not the play here, though, for one of the best connective passing teams in the country this season. De Ridder opts to quickly initiate hi-lo action with Grunloh, who seals Tilly — positioned deep in the paint after chasing Mallory under the basket. The result is an uncontested dunk for Grunloh.

There’s no assist for Mallory on this play, but his live-ball dribble, patience and feel set everything up.

In the second half against Tennessee, Mallory initiates early offense with a high handoff from Tillis. Initially, the 6-foot-11 Okpara hedges on the screen, but Mallory forces him to adjust, using his strength to chisel around the defender. Okpara is then forced to switch onto Mallory, who now has a step on the bigger defender. Though Okpara — a good athlete for a big man with a 7 percent block rate — has the speed and length to neutralize Mallory’s slight advantage, Mallory summons every ounce of guile, toughness, body control and touch, launching himself horizontally for a diving and-one finish just out of reach of Okpara’s contest.

It’s not easy for a sub-6-foot guard to finish and playmake among the trees in high-major college basketball, especially as a freshman. Yet Mallory displayed an advanced game right away as these counters and tricks allowed him to seamlessly adapt to life in the ACC.

To that end, Mallory was one of only seven high-major freshmen to finish the 2025-26 season with an assist rate above 20 percent and a turnover rate under 15 percent. The other six players on that list are all projected lottery picks in the 2026 NBA Draft: Cam Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings, Keaton Wagler and Ebuka Okorie (should he enter the draft).

Shorting The Roll: Purdue Jams Up Miami

In his debut season with Miami, first-year head coach Jai Lucas built a winner (26-9) that was efficient on both ends of the floor. The Hurricanes were an elite two-way rebounding team, ranking in the Top 20 nationally in both offensive and defensive rebound rate.

Defensively, Miami was a shapeshifting unit, frequently blending man-to-man and zone concepts. With a defensive rebound rate of 74.1 percent and a free-throw attempt rate of 29.5 percent, the Hurricanes excelled at two fundamental principles: securing the glass and avoiding fouls. Put those two items together and you have the foundation for a rock-solid defense.

On offense, Miami lacked top-tier shooting talent, but the Hurricanes operated effectively through the Tre Donaldson–Malik Reneau pick-and-roll, enhanced by the emerging playmaking of freshman wing Shelton Henderson.

Ultimately, due to their rebounding, foul avoidance and defensive turnover creation, the Hurricanes won the possession battle. Miami averaged nearly three more field goal attempts and over five more free throw attempts per 40 minutes than their opponents this season. That’s winning on the margins.

Donaldson finished the year with 201 assists, ranking third in the ACC behind only Quadir Copeland (211) and Boopie Miller (211). Reneau and Donaldson developed quick chemistry this season, too, with the veteran point guard assisting the First Team All-ACC power forward 67 times — the most of any duo on Miami’s roster, according to CBB Analytics. The next closest combination was Donaldson and center Ernest Udeh Jr., who connected on 36 assisted buckets.

The pair was particularly effective in the pick-and-roll, with Reneau serving as an excellent target in space for Donaldson — both on short rolls and pick-and-pop actions. As a southpaw, Reneau becomes especially dangerous when he can get downhill, attack the rim and make passing reads from the left side of the floor.

According to CBB Analytics, 48.5 percent of Reneau’s field-goal attempts this season came from the left side of the floor (92nd percentile), where he shot 49.5 percent. By contrast, just 24.3 percent of his attempts came from the right side (11th percentile), where he made only 44.3 percent. The remaining 27.2 percent of his attempts came from the center of the floor, where he excelled, shooting 70.6 percent.

On this empty-corner ball screen against Virginia, Donaldson forces a switch with De Ridder as Reneau gains inside leverage on point guard Mallory and curls to the short roll. Onyenso rotates to contest at the rim, typically a strong defensive position for UVA. However, the 6-foot-9, 238-pound Reneau is downhill with momentum, finishing through contact for a layup and drawing the foul.

A 14-point win over Missouri propelled Miami into the Round of 32. To pull off a second-round upset over Big Ten champions Purdue — boasting the most efficient offense in the country — the Canes would likely need a huge performance from their best player: Reneau.

While Reneau filled the stat sheet with 16 points, four offensive rebounds, four steals, three assists and a block, he struggled in other areas. After drawing 3.6 shooting fouls per 40 minutes this season (96th percentile nationally), he drew just two against Purdue and attempted only four free throws. The Boilermakers are good at limiting these items, but also of note: Reneau committed seven turnovers, tying his career high for a single game.

One way head coach Matt Painter and Purdue limited Reneau’s impact was by sending extra attention when he short rolled into space. Whenever Reneau tried to short roll to the left side of the floor, the Boilermakers would flood him with an additional defender, disrupting his opportunities.

For example, Miami runs middle pick-and-roll with Donaldson and Reneau. Braden Smith pushes Donaldson right — away with from middle of the floor — as Trey Kaufman-Renn sets up just below the level of the screen. The three Purdue help defenders outside of the action stick close to their assignments.

In theory, with two defenders on the ball, Reneau should be open as an outlet man on the short roll. This makes for an easy decision for Donaldson: take the low-hanging fruit, hit Reneau in space, and let him attack a 4-on-3 advantage on the back side. As Donaldson prepares to thread a pocket pass, however, CJ Cox lunges over off Henderson in the left corner, moving toward Reneau.

Stunting toward the ball on the catch, Cox positions himself in the space between Reneau and the basket. As Reneau faces the rim, he sees a congested half-court: all five Purdue help defenders are inside the arc, with heavy traffic in the lane. If Henderson (25.5 3P%) were a more reliable spot-up shooter, Reneau might have kicked it out to him for a catch-and-shoot 3. Instead, Henderson cuts along the baseline as Cox scrambles back toward him, adding even more congestion to the lane.

This willingness to sag off Henderson, who missed his only 3-point attempt in the game, allows Kaufman-Renn to get back in front of Reneau and contest the shot, forcing a miss right at the rim.

A defense can’t take everything off the table; it has to make choices: what is it willing to live with? In Miami’s case, Purdue was committed to making life difficult for Reneau, even if it opened opportunities for secondary targets. Henderson wasn’t the only wing or guard the Boilermakers were willing to leave to funnel Reneau into traffic and disrupt the short roll.

Here’s a similar pick-and-roll look for Miami early in the second half: in the middle third of the floor with Donaldson and Reneau, Udeh is positioned near the hoop in the right dunker spot — opposite the side Reneau will roll into. Miami’s spacing is cleaner here; however, Purdue wing Fletcher Loyer is still willing to leave Dante Allen (32.1 3P%) hanging in the corner to step up and meet Reneau on the touch near the left elbow.

Reneau is disrupted by Loyer’s presence. In a rare moment of indecision — whether to kick out to Allen or drive downhill — Reneau takes an extra step and travles, resulting in a turnover.

Overall, it was a strong season for Lucas and Miami, regardless of last weekend’s result. With several key players set to depart, the coaching staff faces a busy offseason as they work to rebuild the roster and raise the bar for 2026-27. The cupboard isn’t bare, though.

Shelton Henderson: 2027 Draft Prospect

Henderson, the first major recruit Lucas landed in South Beach after flipping from Duke to Miami, had an outstanding freshman season. At 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, he is a bulldog defender and driver, playing with impressive strength and a relentless motor while toggling between the 3 and 4 positions in different lineups.

There were moments this season when Miami would use him as a defensive stopper on top-tier perimeter creators, including smaller guards like Purdue’s Smith. Henderson can navigate screens and handle his business at the point of attack.

Miami’s defense generated a solid number of turnovers this season, ranking 42nd nationally in steal rate at 11.4 percent. Yet Henderson’s individual block and steal numbers are somewhat modest: 1.3 percent block rate and 2.1 percent steal rate. This is a bit surprising given how much zone defense Miami ran, combined with his athletic profile and anticipatory skills.

That said, Henderson wins plenty of battles for contested rebounds and 50-50 balls. He has good hands and his ability to absorb contact while making basketball plays is pretty special. Plus, when he takes over in these situations, it can result in easy transition offense on the other end.

It’ll be interesting to see how Henderson’s defensive box score stats develop next season. With two excellent defensive rebounders, Reneau and Udeh, now gone, he’ll likely need to carry a larger load on the boards as well.

On offense, he excels as a cutter, timing his movements along the baseline or from the slot with precision and purpose, and finishing effectively around the basket. According to CBB Analytics, Henderson shot 70.4 percent at the rim this season. He also finished second on Miami’s roster with 42 dunks.

Henderson is already an impressive slasher. He can explode as a driver, powering into gaps or barreling through would-be defenders. Along with Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson, Henderson was one of only three high-major freshmen this season to finish with 60 percent shooting on 2-point attempts, an assist rate above 10 percent and 40 or more dunks.

Let’s watch him in action. As Donaldson comes off a slot ball screen from Udeh, he draws multiple help defenders toward the nail, including Smith, who drifts away from him on the right wing. By the time Donaldson kicks out, Henderson is already in motion on a “stampede cut,” ready to attack as the ball swings his way.

The stampede cut is an excellent way to generate pace and momentum when attacking downhill off the catch. It allows an offensive player to dart into gaps ahead of the defensive rotation or blow past a poorly timed closeout. Henderson used this move frequently this season, adding yet another weapon to amplify his rim pressure.

In the open floor against UNC, Henderson receives a pass from Donaldson, uses a spin move to shake off Derek Dixon and attacks the rim, powering through with his chest to create separation and finish against a vertical contest from Jarin Stevenson (6-10, 215).

Currently, his jump shot remains inconsistent at best. He made just 13 3-pointers all season and shot only 57.6 percent from the foul line — an indicator of shaky touch. Obviously, critiquing his shot is an easy point to make: every evaluation of Henderson highlights this aspect of his game as a clear area for growth.

While the stampede cut and Henderson’s activity level make him a moving target of sorts for defenses when he’s off the ball, he remains a player defenders can sag off or close out short against when he’s spotted up, which can create issues in half-court offense.

In fact, Miami’s offense was slightly more efficient with Henderson off the floor this season. According to CBB Analytics, the team scored 1.23 points per possession with him on the bench, compared with 1.19 points per possession when he was in the game — a still very strong number.

It’s no surprise that Donaldson and Reneau were the bigger swing pieces in terms of offensive efficiency; the Hurricanes struggled whenever one of them sat. In minutes without Donaldson — the team’s floor general and best perimeter shooter — Henderson took on a larger playmaking role, stepping in to run pick-and-roll action. It was valuable experience, as Henderson showed potential future on-ball equity. Still, sustaining high-level offense without Donaldson proved difficult.

Miami scored just 1.07 points per possession in 209 minutes with Donaldson on the bench this season. Henderson played 145 of those minutes (69.4 percent), during which Miami’s offensive efficiency dropped to 0.99 points per possession against all competition. In 49 minutes of Quad 1 games with those lineups, Miami scored just 0.97 points per possession.

Some of these point differentials are a bit marginal, and small sample sizes likely introduce some variance, but the data underscores Henderson’s limitations. This, in turn, can affect how teams defend him in pick-and-roll situations.

If the defense brings the screen defender up to the level of the ball screen, Henderson can turn the corner and attack downhill for finishes at the rim. Lucas also put him in advantageous situations this season by letting him flow into ball screens on the move, rather than relying on more static looks.

When Henderson sees the screen defender leaning to one side of the pick, he’s comfortable using his handle to reject the screen, crossover and attack the basket. He’s also very effective at finishing through contact.

Other defenses used drop coverage against Henderson, and knowing he lacks a reliable pull-up jumper, went under ball screens. Henderson can hit an elbow jumper and made an impressive 62.3 percent of his 2-point field goals, but he shot just 23.8 percent on 2-point attempts from outside the paint this season.

It’s a huge win for the defense to get him to settle for these inefficient looks.

Furthermore, Henderson’s handle isn’t yet advanced enough to break down high-level defenses that load up on his dribble or funnel him in specific directions.

Take this sequence against Purdue: the Boilermakers “weak” Udeh’s ball screen for Henderson. Gicarri Harris positions his body between Henderson and Udeh as center Oscar Cluff drops below the level of the pick. Purdue effectively boxes Henderson in, forcing him to drive with his weaker left hand. The result is a sloppy turnover and a fast-break run-out for Purdue in the other direction.

Henderson has NBA upside and potential, though he seems more likely to make that jump after 2026 due to his current offensive limitations. There’s already a lot to like, but with development in his handle and strides as a shooter — first off the catch, then off the dribble — he could evolve into a two-way force for Miami and beyond.

Down two starters and playing with a seven-man rotation, Duke exchanged jabs early before landing a knockout punch on one of the nation’s best teams, further cementing its status as the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament.

Let’s take a look at two pick-and-roll concepts Duke used to crack one of the most impenetrable vaults in college hoops: Virginia’s defense, anchored by Ugonna Onyenso.

The Delete Key

Broadly speaking, Virginia’s defense is one of the best in the country because of its ball pressure, versatility and ability to protect the paint with elite rim protection.

I wrote about this for Basket Under Review back in December, but Ryan Odom’s defense picks up the ball as early as possible, applying full-court man-to-man pressure. After burning valuable time on the shot clock with its press, Virginia settles into its half-court defense, where the Cavaliers primarily switch 1-4 and play drop coverage when the center is involved in the screening action.

Over the course of 34 games (29 wins), opponents have averaged a possession length of 18.7 seconds against Virginia’s defense — one of the slowest marks in the country, ranking 354th out of 365 Division I teams.

According to CBB Analytics, Virginia allows just 0.76 points per chance on offensive possessions that last 20-30 seconds, with nearly 28 percent of its defensive possessions falling into that shot-clock window.

This drop-coverage approach differs from Tony Bennett’s Pack Line principles and Duke’s base pick-and-roll coverages, though there is some statistical overlap as both teams execute their schemes at a high level. While Jon Scheyer prefers his defense to be multiple — capable of switching 1–5, playing drop coverage or “weaking” ball screens — this year’s team has evolved to having its centers and Cam Boozer hedge ball screens.

Johann Grunloh and Ugonna Onyenso, Virginia’s two centers, are rejection artists. The duo blocks shots in nearly every fashion imaginable, from key contests in the post to weak-side rim protection. That said, both are often in position to shut down the paint and rack up blocks because of Virginia’s drop coverage scheme.

As a team, Virginia ranks No. 2 nationally in block rate, rejecting 17.5 percent of opponents’ 2-point attempts, per KenPom. Individually, Onyenso (17.7 percent) and Grunloh (11.6 percent) rank first and eighth, respectively, in block rate.

Opponents are shooting just 55.6 percent at the rim against Virginia this season (95th percentile) and 36.1 percent on 2-point attempts in the paint but outside the restricted area (95th percentile). That math is baked into Virginia’s pick-and-roll coverages.

When Grunloh or Onyenso are the screen defender in these actions, they stay between the ball handler, the screener/diver and the rim. This positioning allows Virginia to defend many pick-and-rolls essentially 2-on-2 — as the on-ball defender fights over the screen — enabling the other three defenders to stay home on shooters spacing the arc. This is one of the reasons why opponents have shot just 30.9 percent against Virginia (No. 32 Division 1) this season.

There are several ways to attack an elite defense focused on making life miserable in the paint while staying out of rotation, but none are easy.

In the matchup with Michigan, Duke flexed its 5-out muscles: Cam Boozer, Patrick Ngongba and Maliq Brown operated as high-post hubs, slinging passes around the arc and hitting cutters.

To get Cayden Boozer going early against Virginia’s defense — while also finding ways to involve Darren Harris — Duke moved away from its 5-out cutting actions and dialed up Spain pick-and-roll.

An Evening Constitutional Along Las Ramblas: Spain Action

The benefits of an evening stroll can be profound, both physically and mentally. Charlotte may not be Barcelona when it comes to walkability, but the Blue Devils found plenty of upside with their Spain action in Uptown.

Spain — or Stack — pick-and-roll can be customized in many different ways, but at its core it’s a spread pick-and-roll that incorporates a third player into the action.

It’s a classic counter to drop coverage, forcing the defensive five to navigate an off-ball back screen while simultaneously accounting for the ball handler and the rim runner. Duke used it on a handful on possessions during the first meeting with Virginia this season, but it was far more potent in the ACC title game.

Moreover, Spain action forces the defense to drag a third defender into the coverage, making it more difficult to stay home on off-ball shooters. There’s more movement. The off-ball shooters aren’t stationary.

Given this pressure point, offenses often use their best off-ball shooter to set the back screen. At Duke, that role typically falls to Isaiah Evans or — in this case — Darren Harris, though others, like Cam Boozer and Nik Khamenia, are also used as back-screeners in the Blue Devils’ system.

Let’s see the play in action, shall we?

With Duke’s offense stuck in the mud — scoring just nine points in the first six-plus minutes while mired in a 1-of-7 shooting stretch — Scheyer turns to Spain action: Cayden Boozer as the ball handler, Cam Boozer setting the ball screen and Harris setting the back screen on Grunloh, the defensive 5.

Virginia starts in its normal shell: Grunloh is still fairly high on the floor, but he drops several feet below the level of the Boozer twins’ screen while Malik Thomas fights over the top. Dallin Hall and Devin Tillis sit in the gaps, though they remain close enough to Nik Khamenia and Dame Sarr, respectively.

As Cam Boozer rolls to the rim, he’s bound to draw significant defensive attention. That puts Grunloh and Jacari White in difficult spots. White may want to follow Harris — a dangerous roving shooter who just set the back screen on Grunloh — but he’s now the closest defender to the paint. He also has to be ready to help on the roll.

Grunloh is usually steady at controlling this action, but here he shows some sea legs, peeling off Harris’ back screen to recover to Cam Boozer and removing himself from the space between Cayden Boozer and the rim. He also errs by turning his back to the ball. Thomas remains attached to Cayden Boozer but trails from behind in rearview pursuit. White is now the only defender between Cayden Boozer and the basket, but he’s also dealing with Cam Boozer’s roll and Harris. This is a win for Duke, as the offense neutralizes the load-bearing beam of Virginia’s defensive structure.

As Cayden Boozer turns the corner, White slides over but offers a weak contest at the rim. Boozer blows past him, and with Grunloh stuck on the floor, he has a clean look at the basket.

One minute later, it’s the same Spain set from Duke — now with Brown setting the ball screen for Cayden Boozer.

This trip, Grunloh does a better job shedding Harris’ screen. Most importantly, he doesn’t turn his back to the ball, staying between Brown and the rim. However, by sticking with Brown, Grunloh is no longer in front of Boozer. Dallin Hall, now the low-man defender instead of White, must peel off Harris and help on the drive, while Thomas again trails from behind.

Virginia has the paint packed, but with two defenders committed to the ball, Harris is left wide open beyond the arc. Thomas must scramble to close out, but he’s nowhere near Harris as the shooter begins his motion.

This is about as good a 3-point look as an offense can hope to generate in the half court against Virginia’s set defense. Harris misses, but it’s a great opportunity and a strong use of his skill set. That’s why this sequence felt almost as notable for Cayden Boozer as it was for Harris, a backend rotation player now in an elevated role for Duke’s postseason run.

As I wrote last season, the Blue Devils signal Spain action with a head-tap motion — either from Scheyer on the sideline or from one of the players on the floor. With about 11 minutes remaining in the first half, Boozer brings the ball up the floor as Scheyer taps his head with his right hand. (This is also why I refer to this as Duke’s “Tap” series.)

Once again, it’s the same offensive setup: Spain action, with Brown setting the ball screen and Harris on the back screen. Hall defends Boozer at the point of attack and will now be tasked with fighting over Brown’s pick. Grunloh, of course, remains in drop coverage.

After giving up two quality looks the first two times Duke ran Spain action, Virginia takes a different approach this time. Many defenses try something similar against Spain action. Virginia opts to late switch within its coverage: Sam Lewis will switch off Harris and cover Brown’s dive, Grunloh will shift from drop coverage to become the primary defender on Boozer and Hall will peel off his pursuit of the ball to guard Harris on the pop.

In theory, this approach allows the defense to keep the ball in front and prevent the rim runner from getting behind for a lob, while also maintaining a defender on the back screener to deny a potential open 3-point attempt. However, mismatches now appear in the paint, including Grunloh, who must do something he isn’t used to: navigate a ball screen (Harris) and stay in front of a ball handler with momentum.

Boozer gets leverage on the flat-footed Grunloh, who fails to recover. The result is an uncontested layup for Boozer. Once again, Duke’s Spain action has neutralized the strength of Virginia’s defense.

Two minutes later, Cam Boozer is back on the floor for Duke. He’ll again be involved in Spain action, though in a different role. Boozer signals the play by tapping his head.

Instead of setting the ball screen for his brother — that’s Brown’s job — Cam takes Harris’ place, working as the back screener in the set. Onyenso comes in for Grunloh, and while he remains in drop coverage, Virginia adjusts its approach to this action once again. Chance Mallory is at the point of attack on Cayden Boozer, but when Brown sets his screen, Mallory won’t fight over; he goes under and meets the ball on the other side.

Mallory is a disruptive defender, and he gets to the spot, staying in front of the ball. Onyenso, who was outstanding defensively in this game, does a terrific job navigating Cam Boozer’s back screen and staying with Brown on the roll. As Boozer lifts up the floor — instead of immediately popping beyond the arc — he sets a second ball screen on Mallory, this time bringing his brother to the left side of the floor.

On the second screen, Mallory can’t go under; he must fight over the top, allowing Cayden Boozer to turn the corner. Tillis stays with Cam Boozer, so when Cayden turns the corner, there’s no immediate defender in his path. And like a wide receiver blocking downfield in football, Brown sets a deep seal in the paint — one of his specialties — complicating Onyenso’s challenge.

White must come off Khamenia in the left corner, but he can’t quite get in front of Boozer, who arguably deserves more than two points for a rare win in a battle at the rim with Onyenso.

Unstoppable Force vs. Moveable Object

Onyenso’s rim protection turned this game on its head. He capped off an incredible week in Charlotte with a defensive masterpiece against Duke. In 22 minutes with Onyenso on the floor, Virginia outscored Duke by one point and held the Blue Devils to just 1.02 points per possession. With Onyenso patrolling the paint, Virginia blocked 45.8 percent of Duke’s 2-point attempts and limited them to 37.5 percent shooting at the rim, according to CBB Analytics.

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In both matchups this season, Virginia has largely sagged off Duke’s centers — Patrick Ngongba and Brown — when they space out around the arc. Less concerned with their 3-point shooting, UVA prioritized keeping its defensive 5 in the paint to clog cut opportunities and driving lanes.

Duke has seen this type of coverage plenty this season, and the Blue Devils know how to handle it. Ngongba (8-of-29 3PA) and Brown (5-of-29 2PA) have the green light to let it fly from deep; however, Duke can be even more explosive and efficient against these defensive looks when they use off-the-ball spacing to turn the bigs into handoff hubs and flare screeners.

Onyenso was in Terminator mode throughout the tournament, especially in the title game: nine blocks against the Blue Devils.

Matched up against Brown, whether the Duke center was beyond the arc or in the dunker spot, Onyenso was around the basket at all times, serving as a dynamic weak-side rim protector.

Dealing with some first-half foul trouble, Brown played just 17 minutes in this game. In that span, Duke was outscored by eight points, scoring only 1.01 points per possession.

The Blue Devils needed to either find ways to hit jumpers over the top or pull him out of the paint. This led to a lineup reconfiguration, leaning on Cam Boozer at point-center.

Boozer has seen some time at center for Duke this season, a useful option for Scheyer. According to CBB Analytics, Duke has played 104 minutes (+44) this season with Boozer on the floor as the de facto 5 while Brown and Ngongba sit on the bench. With Ngongba out of the ACC Tournament, 54 of those 104 minutes came over the last three games (+31), with Duke scoring 1.37 points per possession on offense and allowing 1.01 points per possession on defense.

Of course, Boozer presents a unique set of challenges. He’s an excellent 3-point shooter (40.9 3P%), which pulls defenders out to the arc. By moving him to the 5, Duke was able to draw Onyenso away from the basket.

Similar to the Michigan game, Duke loosened up an elite defense with top-tier rim protectors by running its 5-out split action and look for cutters in the half-court setting.

As Boozer initiates up top, there’s an exchange on the right side of the floor, with Sarr and Evans swapping spots. After cutting to the wing, Sarr pivots and moves toward Evans — as if to set a down screen for Duke’s top shooter. Instead, he slips the screen and gets behind Hall, receiving a bullet pass from Boozer for the cut layup.

Inverted Screen-Roll

Duke runs an excellent 5-out motion and passing attack, but Virginia can take many automatic looks away with its positional size, off-ball switches, and schematic know-how. The Blue Devils needed to attack the Cavaliers in their pick-and-roll offense while keeping Onyenso away from the rim as much as possible.

The late-game solution, as it has been all season, was an inverted pick-and-roll with Cam Boozer and Evans.

With under seven minutes to play, Duke began cycling through different variations of this action. The first was a spread look, with Cam Boozer handling in the middle of the floor, pulling Onyenso out to the top of the key, while Evans crept up from the right wing to set a screen.

At the last second, just before setting the screen, Evans “ghosts” the action and blurs out to the left wing, running off a flare screen from Cayden Boozer. Because Evans never actually sets a screen, his defender, Lewis, neither switches nor shows toward Cam Boozer. This not only forces Onyenso to move laterally to stay in front of Boozer, but also removes a help defender from that side of the floor, opening up another gap.

Boozer struggled at times to create space in the midrange against Onyenso; going forward, he’ll need a few more counters. Here, however, he gains the advantage, driving past Onyenso and forcing Thomas to help off the strong-side corner, creating an easy kick-out to Sarr.

Sarr has connected on 40.8 percent of his corner 3-point attempts this season (3.9 corner 3PA per 40 minutes). He misses this shot, but it’s a good look, with Boozer showing trust in his teammate. Boozer saves and finishes the play with one of his best displays of strength this season, ripping a contested rebound away from Onyenso (19.5 percent defensive rebound rate), shot faking and exploding back up for an and-one bucket.

On the next trip up the floor, Grunloh replaces Onyenso, and Duke returns to its inverted pick-and-roll with Cam Boozer and Evans. This time, Evans sets and holds his screen on Grunloh, triggering a switch with Lewis (6-7, 210) on Boozer (6-9, 250). There’s no weak-side flare screen for Evans on this possession. Regardless, Boozer takes advantage of the matchup, powering to the basket and drawing a foul on his second put-back attempt.

About a minute later, coming out of a timeout with the game tied at 63, Scheyer unveils some late-game offensive mastery. He uses Harris and Evans together in the action, both working with Cam Boozer in inverted ball screens.

First, Harris runs up and sets a screen on Onyenso, drawing a switch: Thomas goes to Cam Boozer, and Onyenso follows Harris. If Duke drives on this possession and Onyenso collapses, there’s now an obvious kick-out target: Harris.

Next, Evans lifts toward Boozer, as if to set another inverted ball screen on Thomas. Similar to the first inverted possession highlighted above, Evans ghosts the screen — moving toward Thomas before slipping out to the left wing.

Lewis, after getting burned by this slip a few minutes earlier, shows for a half-second on Boozer — ready to help Thomas if necessary. It’s a minor adjustment, and Lewis quickly scrambles back to Evans, but that brief and slight angling of his body is enough for Boozer and Evans, who has one of the quickest releases in the country, to capitalize.

According to my charting, this is the ninth pick-and-pop 3-pointer Evans has hit off a Cam Boozer pass this season, including the game-winner against Florida. Overall, Boozer has assisted 41 Evans field goals this season, which is the most on the team by a lot.

Duke has played just 78 minutes with Evans and Harris on the floor together this season (+48), scoring 1.31 points per possession. This is one way Duke can structure its lineups and scheme without Foster: Harris takes on some of the guard minutes, while Cam Boozer assumes more play-creation responsibilities.

On the next offensive possession, Duke runs the same action. This time, however, Virginia defends it differently. Onyenso doesn’t switch to Harris; he stays with Cam Boozer. Lewis sticks with Evans as well. On the backside, UVA executes a textbook X-out: Hall leaves Cayden Boozer in the corner to guard Harris, while Thomas sprints to the left corner.

Virginia keeps the ball in front. Duke resets and runs another inverted screen between Evans and Boozer. Onyenso does a good job containing Boozer’s drive, altering his shot at the rim with a well-timed contest.

After another timeout, Duke continued to run the inverted Boozer-Evans action, albeit with a different look.

The possession starts in what I call Duke’s “L” series — with Cam Boozer zipping up from the left corner to the top of the key, where he receives a pass from his brother. After screening for Cam Boozer, Khamenia cuts to the left corner as Sarr fills the right corner, while Evans lifts up to set the ball screen.

Throughout the season, this action has put even high-level defenses, like Virginia, on skates. The Cavaliers alternated between switching the action and showing-and-recovering. Here, Lewis switches onto Boozer, but Onyenso fights over the top of the screen, leaving Evans open with two defenders on the ball.

This creates a full-blown panic, forcing Virginia’s weak-side defense into rotation. With Evans open, Thijs De Ridder sprints off Khamenia in the left corner as Onyenso scrambles back to cover Evans. With no defender in front of him, Khamenia crashes from the corner.

As the 3-point attempt goes up, the smallest player on the floor, Chance Mallory (5-10, 185), is forced to handle two Blue Devils crashing the glass: Khamenia and Cayden Boozer. Mallory chooses to box out the larger Khamenia, leaving Cayden Boozer unattended right at the front of the rim.

This is how Boozer is able to glide in, grab an uncontested rebound and finish an uncontested layup, which proved to be the game-winner.

This play is the same action Duke ran at the end of the game against Florida, which led to the Evans game-winning shot: the “L” series into an inverted pick-and-pop with Boozer and Evans.

Coming Down With a Case of March Madness

As impressive as it was to see Duke band together and win three games in three days with 40 percent of its starting lineup riding knee scooters around the Spectrum Center, the real test starts now. Cayden Boozer and Khamenia appeared to take massive steps forward during the week in Charlotte. That’s a testament to Duke’s player development infrastructure, but is it sustainable? Is it enough to win six more?

While Foster’s return seems a bit murky, there’s reason to believe Ngongba will be back for the NCAA Tournament, which is mission critical. Ngongba is an exceptional player, and his presence adds multiple dimensions to Duke’s arsenal: frontcourt depth, lineup versatility, scheme versatility, rim protection, two-way rebounding, finishing and playmaking. If he’s back and ready for the stretch run, Duke has a chance for a deep postseason push. Combine that with a little luck — which is always necessary in the chaotic randomness of March and April — and who knows? Maybe this team gets to cut down a few more nets.

For those of us on the sidelines, enjoy the games — and best of luck with your brackets (and with calling in sick to work for a case of March Madness).

As the final week of the ACC regular season began, Monday’s matchup between No. 1 Duke and NC State may have produced a lopsided result, but it still offered several noteworthy takeaways, including a few defensive wrinkles from both teams, Duke’s zone offense flexing its muscles and the two-way impact of Maliq Brown.

Free Fallin’ out into Raleigh

NC State’s recent backslide over the past three weeks has been significant. The Pack are 1-5 in their last six contests, with the lone victory coming in Raleigh against a UNC squad missing its two best players: Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar.

In a vacuum, losing to teams like Louisville, Miami, Virginia and Duke is understandable. These are really good teams. Each ranks inside the Top 35 nationally in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency metric. The issue is the clustering effect, with the losses piling up as the regular season winds down.

Moreover, it’s the manner of those defeats that stands out. NC State has been blown out in three of the losses, falling to Louisville, Virginia and Duke by a combined 99 points. For the most part, the offense has performed at a respectable clip during this stretch (110.4 points per 100 possessions), but the defense has gone sideways.

Among ACC teams, NC State’s defense now ranks 12th in adjusted efficiency in league play. Since the Feb. 9 road loss at Louisville, when Mikel Brown Jr. went crazy, the Pack have been outscored by 20.1 points per 100 possessions, according to CBB Analytics. During that span, they’ve allowed 130.6 points per 100 possessions, and in four of those games, opponents have scored at least 128 points per 100.

If you remove the UNC game, NC State’s opponents have averaged 137.5 points per 100 possessions across the five losses.

Over this six-game stretch, opponents have shot 38.4 percent from 3-point range and 59.1 percent on 2-point attempts, including 70.2 percent at the rim, per CBB Analytics.

Transition defense is influenced by a number of factors, and it has been an inconsistent issue for NC State all season. Lately, though, it’s worsened. Over the past six games, opponents have averaged 12.9 fast break points per 40 minutes, compared to just 5.7 for the Pack, along with 38.5 points in the paint per 40 minutes.

According to CBB Analytics, opponents have scored 1.3 points per possession against NC State following a made field goal (66.7 2P%), 1.5 points per possession after a made free throw and 1.27 points per possession after a missed NC State field goal (42.6 3P%). On possessions lasting 10 seconds or fewer, opponents have scored a staggering 1.49 points per possession.

Trying to find something they can’t hit

When things are unraveling defensively, Duke is about the last offense a team wants to see on the schedule. The Blue Devils rank No. 1 nationally in defensive efficiency, but they also bring an elite offense to the table — one that’s uniquely versatile in its play style and ranks in the Top Five nationally in both overall efficiency and 2-point shooting (61.4 2P%).

One of NC State’s biggest defensive issues is a lack of identity. Over the full season, this hasn’t been a bad unit — it ranks inside the top 60 nationally in adjusted efficiency — but the Pack have rarely looked fully settled in their base scheme.

Because of their commitment to pressure and early help, whether doubling the post or digging into gaps on drives, they’ve surrendered a high volume of 3-point attempts. NC State ranks No. 337 in Division I, with 45.3 percent of opponents’ field-goal attempts coming from beyond the arc.

In pick-and-roll coverage, NC State opened the season by switching everything 1-5. This was anticipated after how his team at McNeese State operated last season. With new personnel and a bump in competition, though, the results were mixed.

After losses to Seton Hall and Texas in Maui, NC State moved away from switching 1-5 as its primary coverage and began hard hedging more ball screens. Starting with the Auburn game, the Pack brought Ven-Allen Lubin and Musa Sagnia up to the level of the screen before retreating to their man, the screener, while the other defenders rotated behind the play.

Since then, it’s been fluid. For most of the season, NC State has toggled between those two coverages: switching and hard hedging.

However, when the Pack traveled to face SMU in early February, they shifted to drop coverage. In that game, Lubin and Sagnia played below the level of the screen, allowing NC State to stay out of rotation and avoid switching smaller defenders onto Samet Yigitoglu, a bruising 7-foot-2, 270-pound center.

The reasoning behind the adjustment was sound, but the results were mixed, as SMU’s guards exploited the extra space with pull-up jumpers and drives to the rim. Eventually, NC State reverted to its previous approach, with its centers switching or hard-hedging SMU’s ball screens later in the game.

It’s one thing to be schematically versatile and nimble with coverages and matchups. In fact, it’s important to be less predictable and show opposing offenses different looks, while also going in different directions — when necessary — to combat an opponent’s structural advantage. Even then, a defense needs principles and concepts to fall back on for a game-in, game-out basis.

To me, NC State has never quite fortified its base. Without that, the changes and adjustments feel more reactive, more out of necessity, than they do from a position of strength.

It’s like a baseball pitcher who relies on a mix of fastballs and sliders to get hitters out but struggles with command, and then suddenly tries to throw in a changeup, just trying anything to make it through an inning or two. And right now, NC State’s defense is giving up a few too many extra-base hits.

NC State: Game of Zones

When NC State opened in a 2-3 zone against Duke on Monday, I was intrigued. How would it work? And how long would it last?

The approach harkened back to how Will Wade and McNeese State flummoxed Clemson’s offense in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, when the Cowboys used a zone to disrupt Clemson’s rhythm and timing en route to a major upset.

In theory, the zone would allow NC State to stay out of rotation and avoid tricky off-ball switches against Duke’s 5-out offense, clog the lane against Cameron Boozer and Patrick Ngongba, and protect Lubin while Sagnia came into the game compromised with an ankle injury. Get back in transition, take away Duke’s go-to half-court actions and reads and score efficiently on the other end: that would be the roadmap for another upset.

Duke, however, isn’t Clemson. The Blue Devils may not have as many quick-twitch 3-point shooters as last season, but they’re still a tough team to zone. Isaiah Evans is built to bust up zones; the sophomore hit four 3-pointers, three of them against NC State’s set zone defense. Duke also has size and is an elite offensive rebounding team, grabbing 36.9 percent of their own misses (No. 19 in Division I). Above all, they’re an elite passing team anchored by one of the best at-the-nail offensive players in the country: Cameron Boozer.

There were stretches when the zone clicked for NC State, though Duke never appeared uncomfortable against it. According to my charting, Duke’s offense recorded only two turnovers against the zone: one on an illegal screen set by Ngongba, and the other on a poor entry pass from Dame Sarr to Boozer in the right post.

According to my charting, NC State ran 30 possessions of half-court zone defense (not including possessions when NC State applied a full-court press and Duke attacked in secondary offense). Four of those possessions ended in a foul. On the remaining 26 half-court possessions, Duke scored 43 points — a sizzling 1.65 points per possession.

So, how did they do it? Let’s take a look at a few instances where Duke poked holes in NC State’s 2-3 zone.

Flashing to The Nail

The Blue Devils kept their attack on the zone simple but cycled through a few different actions that put their players in favorable spots — starting with Boozer at the nail.

Opposing defenses haven’t deployed much zone against Duke this season, but when they do, the priority is challenging the high-post feed to Boozer at the nail as much as possible. If he catches the pass cleanly and turns to face the basket, he becomes extremely difficult to stop.

NC State tried to have one of their defenders from the top of the 2-3 zone drop down and challenge Boozer — either by pressuring him on the catch or by denying the pass in the lane, as Paul McNeil Jr. did on the last play of the first half. With the clock winding down, McNeil completely vacates the slot and positions himself between the Boozer twins, while Terrance Arceneaux and Quadir Copeland aggressively shade toward the middle of the floor.

Duke makes this approach even more difficult by going small: Boozer serves as the de facto 5, surrounded by four perimeter players. With an extra 3-point shooter on the floor and NC State loading up on Cam Boozer at the nail, Duke can create a quick swing-swing opportunity — from Cayden Boozer to Caleb Foster to Nik Khamenia — before the zone can fully rotate.

According to CBB Analytics, the Blue Devils are now +16 over 40 minutes with Cam Boozer at small-ball center and Ngongba and Brown on the bench, scoring 1.25 points per possession on offense. It’s another card for Duke to play.

From The Nail: Big-to-Big Passing

As dangerous as Boozer can be as a scorer — whether facing up or cutting down from the foul-line area — he can also use this location as a playmaking hub.

On this after-timeout possession, Duke flashes Boozer to the nail while Maliq Brown patrols the dunker spot. As Khamenia prepares to throw the entry pass to Boozer, Evans spaces out to the weak-side wing, hovering near Wade. This leaves Darrion Williams in a difficult position on the backside.

It’s simple geometry: the gravity of Evans (47.2 3P% over his last 7 games) pulls Williams out toward the arc, leaving Brown isolated on the weak side.

McNeil tries to help down from the top of the zone on Boozer, but as Boozer receives the pass, Scottie Ebube also takes a small step toward him. That leaves no one to cover Brown, and the rim is wide open. Boozer reads the defense instantly, delivering a quick touch pass over the top to Brown.

When I saw this play in real time, it reminded me of other recent standout 4-5 passing combos for Duke against zone defenses, particularly the Kyle Filipowski–Dereck Lively connection at Syracuse in the 2022–23 season.

Or this quick-hitter from Paolo Banchero to Mark Williams during the 2021–22 season at Syracuse.

Given the passing skills of Ngongba (15.8 percent assist rate) and Brown (14.8 percent assist rate), combined with Boozer’s interior finishing ability (72.8 2P% at the rim), Duke can easily invert those roles.

About a minute later, Ngongba flashes to the nail while Boozer seals Copeland in the weak-side dunker spot. Ngongba lofts a high pass, and Boozer showcases his touch, deftly redirecting it through the net.

Early in the second half, just before NC State abandoned the zone, Ngongba flashed to the nail and lobbed the ball over the top to Boozer in the dunker spot.

The Blue Devils will look to run this same action — flashing one of the bigs to the nail and looking for a short lob over the top to the other big in the dunker spot — against different zone coverages and with different player combinations.

SMU ran a relatively compact 1-3-1 zone in the first half at Duke, with little pressure on the ball at the point of attack. Ngongba and Brown started the possession on opposite sides of the lane, splitting the back-line defender. When Cayden Boozer swung the ball to Evans on the right wing, Ngongba lifted from the left post to the nail. Evans pulled the zone defenders high up the floor, leaving the right short corner open; Brown cut, and Ngongba delivered the lob for the finish.

Baseline Runner

Another tactic Duke used against NC State’s zone was its baseline runner action, where one of its shooters sprints across the baseline to occupy the strong-side corner and create overloads.

This simple cut by Darren Harris pulls Williams out to the right corner, opening up some space in the mid-post for Boozer. After the entry pass, Boozer and Khamenia execute an impromptu give-and-go, with Khamenia using a shot fake to get past Alyn Breed and set up the cut-and-finish opportunity for Boozer.

Earlier in the season against Florida, Duke ran the same baseline runner action — this time with Evans moving along the baseline — into a mid-post touch for Boozer. The Gators shifted from a 2-3 zone into a matchup look, but Boozer maneuvered to the rim and drew a foul on a put-back attempt.

Flare Screens

Brown is one of the most intuitive screeners in the country. Whether in half-court sets or in transition, he roams the floor looking for opportunities to set screens. He constantly works to free teammates for open 3-pointers with flare screens or to create driving lanes with deep seals in the paint.

Boozer is also a strong screener, and it’s not just because of his sturdy 6-foot-9, 250-pound frame. As a dangerous scorer, he forces defenses into tough decisions whenever he sets a pick: who switches and who stays? He embraces contact, using his physicality to carve out space and generate off-ball opportunities for himself and his teammates.

On this after-timeout play against NC State, with the Pack still sticking to their zone, Brown and Boozer cut across the formation. Brown moves from the left wing to the right block, while Boozer does the opposite, ending up on the same side of the floor as Evans on the left wing. As the ball swings to Foster, then Sarr, and back to Foster, Boozer rises and sets a flare screen on Williams.

Matt Able is tasked with staying in front of Foster, which leaves Williams as the only defender on the left side of the floor responsible for two dynamic offensive players: Boozer and Evans. As always, Jon Scheyer looks for ways to manufacture these types of 2-on-1 scenarios in the half-court; he’s a master at drawing them up. When Boozer sets the flare screen on Williams, he effectively neutralizes the only nearby defender, springing Evans open for a 3 he calmly drills.

Coming out of the timeout: this isn’t an accident. It’s by design.

Screening the Top and Bottom of the Zone

One of Duke’s go-to actions against zone defenses this season has been a double-screen setup: a ball screen atop the defense by the 4, paired with an off-ball screen by the 5 on the middle low man in the zone. As the guard dribbles off the ball screen, the opposite guard defender slides over to fill the gap, creating a kick-out opportunity to an off-ball guard in the opposite slot.

For example: against Syracuse, Cam Boozer sets the ball screen for Sarr while Brown seals in the lane against center Ibrahim Souare. Kiyan Anthony slides over toward Sarr, leaving Cayden Boozer open in the right slot.

Sarr does a great job leading Cayden Boozer into space with his pass, and Boozer catches it on the move rather than at a standstill. This subtle stampede cut allows him to blow by a poor closeout from Anthony. With Brown sealing Souare in the paint and Tyler Betsey closing all the way out to Khamenia in the right corner, the proverbial red carpet is rolled out for Boozer to attack the rim for an uncontested layup against the zone.

That was certainly poor defense from Syracuse, but Duke has successfully run this concept in other games, including the matchup at NC State.

This is the very first play of the game in Raleigh, which results in a driving finish for Foster, who gets into the gap off the double screens.

Here’s the same look, this time with Khamenia initiating the action from the left wing and Harris spaced in the right corner. Once again, Cam Boozer sets the ball screen while Cayden Boozer positions himself near the opposite slot/wing. As Khamenia drives off the ball screen, Breed provides early help on the ball, leaving Cayden open on the right.

With Ngongba sealing Sagnia in the post, Khamenia’s pass to Boozer puts Arceneaux in a tough spot: hang back and let Boozer attack the gap, or rotate up and leave a dangerous shooter, Harris, open in the corner. Arceneaux closes out on Boozer and tries to rotate back to Harris, but Sagnia can’t get there in time. Thanks to a quick, precise extra pass from Boozer, Harris is left with all the space he needs to drill an open corner 3.

According to CBB Analytics, 96.1 percent of Harris’ field goal attempts this season have been 3-point attempts or at the rim. He’s connected on 8-of-19 3-point attempts (42.1 3P%) from the corners, too.

Duke got to this same action when going up against Stanford’s funky matchup zone. Khamenia drives off Boozer’s handoff/screen, Ngongba seals in the paint and Evans is left open in the weak-side corner for a spot-up 3.

In the New Year’s Eve matchup against Georgia Tech, Duke employed this approach with its jumbo lineup on the floor — Boozer, Brown and Ngongba — with a slight tweak. Using a screen from Ngongba, Boozer operated as the pick-and-roll ball handler. Georgia Tech, however, didn’t provide nearly as much early help as Syracuse or NC State. Lamar Washington sagged in the gap before sticking with Foster, who spaced out to the left wing.

Instead of sealing the middle low man, Brown does what he does best: using flare screens to catch unsuspecting defenders off guard. Boozer kicks the ball to Foster, with Washington on him, leaving Jaeden Mustaf to handle another 2-on-1 situation. Foster quickly redirects to Evans, who uses the Brown screen and knocks down a big 3-ball.

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Cutting Bait: Going Back to Man-to-Man

The Wolfpack ran zone for a handful of possessions to start the second half before abandoning it and returning to man-to-man. Despite ongoing issues with transition and press defense, there were some positives in NC State’s half-court man-to-man. The post doubles on Boozer were effective, generating two turnovers on the possessions I charted as fully committed double teams.

That said, the 1-5 switch approach still put NC State in difficult spots — particularly against Duke’s pick-and-roll sets and 5-out spacing.

On NC State’s first possession in half-court man-to-man, Duke ran what I call its “Stack Low” action to create an advantageous switch.

The play begins with Cam Boozer initiating, Sarr and Foster in a stack formation near the foul line in the middle third of the floor and — importantly — Ngongba spaced in the right corner. Foster starts by popping out to the right wing off a brush screen from Sarr.

When Boozer passes right to Foster, it triggers a step-up ball screen from the 5, with Ngongba lifting from the corner to set a pick on Able.

NC State switches 1-5 on this possession, placing the 6-foot-10, 280-pound Ebube on Foster and the 6-foot-6, 205-pound Able on the 6-foot-11, 250-pound Ngongba.

Duke knows how to exploit that interior mismatch. The Blue Devils space the floor, lifting four players above the arc while Ngongba seals in the post. Foster has a clear angle for the entry pass and lobs it over the top. Williams comes over from the weak side, but he’s too late and doesn’t apply enough pressure to disrupt the pass. From there, Ngongba has an easy finish.

Duke hasn’t run Stack Low much this season, but it was a pretty heavily featured pick-and-roll action last season, especially with Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach.

A few minutes later, Duke runs one of its primary actions designed to get Foster going downhill. Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy has referred to this action as “Dribble Ray Back Side,” but for my purposes, I label it “5 Back Side” or “5 Zoom.”

It’s a 5-out set that begins with the 1 (Cayden Boozer) dribbling down the right side of the floor and executing an early handoff with the 3 (Evans) sprinting to the right corner. On the weak side, the 4 (Cam Boozer) cuts from the middle to the left wing, using a small brush/flare screen from the 5 (Ngongba), while the 2 (Foster) is positioned in the left corner as the play’s intended ball handler.

Next, Evans passes the ball to Ngongba at the top of the key, triggering the back-side Zoom action for Foster: a down screen from Boozer leading into a dribble handoff with Ngongba.

As Ngongba, Cam Boozer and Foster run the back-side Zoom action, Duke clears out space on the right side of the floor: Cayden Boozer cuts along the baseline, and Evans fills the right corner, where he started. When Foster exits the handoff, there’s no help defender on that wing.

As Foster dribbles off, NC State switches across three positions: Sagnia takes Foster, Arceneaux scram switches to Ngongba rolling to the rim and Copeland goes to Boozer on the left wing.

With the smaller Arceneaux on him, Ngongba immediately drops into the post and seals. As Arceneaux fronts him, Duke spaces the floor in a 4-around-1 alignment. The Boozer twins take turns assessing who has the better angle for the entry pass. Breed, the low-man help defender, can’t sag too far off Evans in the right corner, as Cam can easily skip the ball over to his corner shooter.

When the ball is swung back to Cam in the left slot, he knows it’s time to go inside. Boozer lofts a perfect hi-lo lob over Arceneaux’s reach. Ngongba high-points the ball, shields it from a late challenge by Breed and finishes with a dunk.

5 Zoom can be effective against a variety of coverages. In last Saturday’s win over Virginia — a strong defensive team that uses drop coverage rather than switching its centers to keep the ball in front and protect the rim — Duke ran this set to get Foster driving downhill. Foster made smart “paint decisions,” patiently probing the drop, waiting for the defensive 5 to step toward him and then looking for Ngongba on the roll.

The Blue Devils also attack defenses that rely heavily on off-ball switches with their 5-out split game: one of the bigs initiates in the middle third of the floor while the off-ball players move and cut around.

On this late-game possession, Brown runs the action atop the key. Cayden Boozer sprints down from the right wing, seemingly to set a down screen for Khamenia. This puts the onus on Arceneaux, defending Khamenia, and Breed, guarding Boozer, to communicate and execute the switch properly.

Just before Boozer sets the screen for Khamenia, he slips and cuts toward the basket, making things even trickier for Arceneaux and Breed. No screen is actually set, but the two defenders read the play differently: Arceneaux stays with Khamenia, while Breed switches off Boozer onto Khamenia.

That creates a major problem for the defense, leaving Boozer completely unguarded. Brown recognizes it and delivers an easy pass to Boozer for a cutting layup.

Brown is averaging 1.8 rim assists per 40 minutes this season (96th percentile among bigs), according to CBB Analytics, accounting for 47.3 percent of his total assists (78th percentile).

Duke Defense: Script Rewrites

NC State wasn’t the only team making defensive adjustments in this matchup. Duke also shifted its pick-and-roll coverage, moving from its base approach — hedging ball screens with both the 4 and 5 as screen defenders — to more of a 1-5 switch scheme.

On the very first play of the game, NC State is ready for Ngongba to hedge the screen, and the Pack run some effective empty-corner pick-and-roll action with Copeland and Lubin. The ball screen occurs in the right slot, while the three other offensive players remain spaced on the left side of the floor.

By hard hedging the screen, Duke puts two defenders on the ball: Ngongba and Sarr, who fights around the screen to stay with Copeland. As Lubin rolls to the rim, he’s largely unguarded; Boozer briefly tags him, but with Williams stepping up the floor, he’s pulled away from the paint.

Foster is the low man on the left side, but he stays a bit too attached to McNeil, another talented long-range shooter, whom NC State uses similarly to Evans: their 3-point threat stretches defenses and distorts coverages. Foster clearly had a mandate to take away McNeil’s shot, as his 3-point shooting is a key factor in raising NC State’s offensive ceiling. Foster did a solid job chasing him around the floor, but that level of attention comes at a cost.

The bottom line: no one fully rotates to Lubin, and Copeland has the size to pass over Ngongba and Sarr. The result is a wide-open dunk: Lubin’s easiest finish of the game.

Less than two minutes later, NC State goes to “Angle” pick-and-roll from the right wing with Tre Holloman and Lubin. Once again, Ngongba hedges the ball screen, placing a second defender — momentarily — on Holloman, along with Evans.

As Lubin rolls into space, Sarr steps off Copeland in the right corner to tag him, but Boozer, the weak-side low-man help defender, is also in position to defend the roll. Boozer is so far into the paint, however, that he completely leaves Williams (39.3 3P%) alone in the corner. Holloman skips the ball out to Williams, who knocks down a clean look from beyond the arc.

Nearing the midway point of the first half, Duke moved away from having its bigs hedge ball screens. Scheyer prefers to have his defenses switch as much as possible, and over the years, he’s made similar mid-game adjustments when Duke’s pick-and-roll coverages weren’t working. (The 2023 win over Pittsburgh comes to mind, when that adjustment helped the team find its defensive identity, anchored by the versatility of Lively.)

On Monday night at The Lenny in Raleigh, Scheyer returned to that approach as the primary defense for the remainder of the game: switching 1-5 against NC State’s ball screens.

Following a missed 3 from Sarr, Duke was already cross-matched on the possession, with Boozer on Copeland. As NC State ran its “Horns Twist” for Copeland, the play created an easy switch opportunity for the Blue Devils: Brown switched onto Copeland, while Boozer took Lubin, eliminating any threat of a downhill roll to the rim. Duke kept the ball in front. Copeland managed to get around Brown, but wary of a potential contest from the ultra-quick Brown — his former Syracuse teammate — Copeland rushed his layup attempt and missed.

Later in the first half, as NC State runs an empty-side ball screen with Breed and Sagnia, it’s Ngongba’s turn to switch onto the opposing point guard. Breed isn’t as explosive a driver as Copeland, but Ngongba is able to contain him, with a little help from Harris, who shows at the right elbow before recovering to Able to contest the 3-point attempt.

Finally, on this after-timeout possession, the Pack run what I call their “Strong Circle” action: two consecutive staggered down screens set by the 4 and 5 — Arceneaux and Ebube — for McNeil and then Copeland. After Copeland exits the staggers, Ebube sets a step-up ball screen, which Brown switches onto, putting him on Copeland. Duke has already contained the initial actions fairly easily, and as State scrambles to generate offense late in the clock, Ebube sets another ball screen for Copeland, triggering another switch. Duke returns to its original matchups, with Brown on Ebube and Sarr back on Copeland.

Copeland is a confident passer, but he should know better than to try this against Brown. There’s hardly any passing angle, and Brown gets into the lane to grab the steal.

With two blocks and two steals against NC State, Brown now has five straight games with two or more steals. He and 6-foot-9 Santa Clara freshman forward Allen Graves — an analytics darling for NBA scouts — are the only two players in the country with at least a 2.0 percent block rate and a 5.0 percent steal rate. Brown ranks second nationally in steal rate (5.3 percent), which is remarkable for a big man, and first in ACC play with a 5.7 percent steal rate.

Duke’s defense averaged 8.7 steals per 40 minutes with Brown on the court this season (94th percentile) and 7.1 steals per 40 with him on the bench. Brown drives turnover creation and havoc-type plays for this defense.

Season Finale Time

One game at a time, right?

At the moment, Duke and NC State are two ships heading in opposite directions. The Pack will need to execute their game plan more effectively this weekend in the regular-season finale against Ebuka Okorie and Stanford. For Duke, now on a seven-game winning streak — six of those by double digits — it’s a rematch with the last team to beat them: UNC.

Stay tuned for a Duke-UNC Preview, Part 2, later this week!

The Blue Devils controlled the win-probability chart for much of the second half, yet the up-and-down affair appeared ready to tilt in favor of the maize and blue with just under four minutes to play. After Yaxel Lendeborg drilled a 3-pointer at the 3:49 mark, Duke clung to a 57-56 lead against the No. 1 team in the country, with Michigan in the double bonus and Cameron Boozer saddled with four fouls.

After a Trey McKenney foul on Caleb Foster triggered the under-4 media timeout at the 3:24 mark, Duke put on an offensive clinic against the nation’s No. 1 defense: no turnovers, no empty possessions. In doing so, the Blue Devils gritted out a victory in this clash of titans.

Let’s pick it up from that moment and break down the ensuing four possessions that swung the game and sealed a statement win in a Final Four-type atmosphere.

Empty Lift

On the first three offensive possessions after the timeout, Duke scored seven straight points by running variations of the same action: Patrick Ngongba initiated 5-out offense from the right slot — pulling 7-foot-3 Michigan center Aday Mara (12.8 percent block rate) out of the paint and away from the rim — while Boozer set a back screen to the empty side before popping out to the left wing.

The Blue Devils opened by inbounding from the right sideline, with Foster as the trigger man. Boozer cut from the right wing to the left wing. Ngongba lifted from the nail to the right wing. Dame Sarr cut through from the left wing to the right corner, while Isaiah Evans remained stationed at the top of the key.

After receiving the pass from Foster, Ngongba turned to face the floor. Mara (15) is a strong space defender for a player his size, but by pulling Michigan’s 5 out of the paint, Duke opened up the rim. Boozer followed and sprinted up to set a back screen for Evans.

Boozer’s back screen pulls Morez Johnson (5.2 percent block rate) outside the paint as well, and with no other Blue Devil spaced to the left side, there’s no help defender. Evans has a straight line to the rim, with one of the nation’s best big-man passers surveying the floor.

McKenney (1) gets hung up on a solid screen from Boozer. Johnson and Mara are both dragged above the free throw line, and Elliot Cadeau (3) is stationed well outside the lane while defending Sarr. The result: with McKenney trailing the play, there’s no help at the rim. Ngongba caps off a beautifully designed set from Jon Scheyer by floating a lob to Evans for the finish.

Heading into Saturday night, Michigan ranked second nationally in block rate. They make life extremely difficult around the basket, allowing opponents to attempt only 20 percent of their field goals at the rim (100th percentile nationally) and converting just 58.2 percent of those attempts (86th percentile), according to CBB Analytics.

However, by pulling Mara, Johnson (21) and Lendeborg away from the restricted area, Duke could undercut the rim protection that anchors this dominant defense.

On the next possession, after Cadeau missed a layup on a backdoor cut, Duke ran what I refer to as its “L” series: a set of plays that begins with one of the guards positioned in the corner and the 4 and 5 next to one another in the middle third of the floor.

From this setup, which resembles the letter L, Duke can run countless options. Typically, the play flows into a few different directions: either a post-up for Boozer in the left mid-post, or one of the guards (Evans, in this case) zipping up the middle off staggered screens from the 4 and 5. In this instance, however, everyone branched out above the arc into a 5-out alignment, which is another popular pathway for Duke’s offense.

Ngongba pops toward the top of the key and receives a pass from Foster, giving Duke its 5-out spacing template. On the right side, Sarr and Evans execute a quick exchange, swapping spots to manipulate the help defense: Evans cuts down to the corner while Sarr moves up to the wing. Meanwhile, Boozer lifts and sets a back screen on the left wing — this time for Foster.

Lendeborg (23) navigates Boozer’s screen and stays attached to Foster. Meanwhile, Johnson stunts off Boozer and sags a step into the paint, trying to deter any passing lanes from Ngongba to the cutting Foster. The Blue Devils quickly transition to the play’s next progression: a pitch-and-chase pick-and-roll between Ngongba and Boozer with an empty corner. Ngongba tosses the ball toward Boozer and immediately sprints over to set the ball screen.

Michigan opts to switch the 45 pick-and-roll, leaving Mara isolated against Boozer. Sarr buzzes toward Boozer before drifting out to the corner, trying to complicate things at the point-of-attack for Mara. Boozer glides left around Mara, but with Ngongba stationed in the weak-side dunker spot, Johnson is nearby and rotates over to contest the layup, forcing a miss. This, however, is where Boozer’s combination of strength, quick second jump, determination and guile comes into play.

Boozer’s initial drive displaces the burly Johnson (6-9, 250), knocking him temporarily out of the play. Mara, taller and in solid rebounding position, is beaten to the ball as Boozer plucks his own miss, shot fakes to get two defenders off their feet and then attacks again, drawing the shooting foul.

In recent games, Duke has increasingly flowed into empty-corner 45 pick-and-rolls — with the 4 (Boozer) as the ball handler and the 5 (Ngongba or Maliq Brown) setting the screen — as a way to generate offense late in the shot clock.

For example, after a timeout against Clemson, Duke started in the L series, shifted to 5-out and then ran a 45 pick-and-roll with Boozer and Brown with under 10 seconds left on the shot clock. Boozer drew a switch and comfortably knocked down a 3 over RJ Godfrey (0).

Back to the Michigan game: after two free throws from Boozer, Mara cut the lead back to three with a layup in the post — rolling downhill off a pick-and-roll from a Michigan “Horns” set and finishing 1-on-1 over Ngongba.

On Duke’s next possession, it’s the same sequence: L series into 5-out, with Ngongba running the show. Zoom in closely, and Foster’s right hand even traces the shape of an L.

Once again, Ngongba faces up in the right slot, Sarr and Evans execute their exchange on the right, and Boozer sets the back screen for Foster.

McKenney is an excellent freshman wing, but for the second time in roughly 90 seconds, he gets caught as the chase defender on Boozer’s screen, allowing Foster to cut into open space with the 4 and 5 pulled out. Over on the ball, Mara has adjusted against Ngongba, no longer sagging off and applying more pressure. While this has its advantages, it also opens up the lane. As soon as Ngongba sees Foster gain a step on McKenney, he lifts the ball above his head and delivers a perfectly timed, leading pass to the moving target.

Foster is immediately swarmed the moment he touches the ball. Johnson and Mara sprint to close down the rim, and the Wolverines quickly make the rim a no-fly zone. However, these extreme late-game rotations have one glaring vulnerability: Boozer (39.6 3P%) all alone on the left wing. Foster takes one power dribble, lets McKenney sail by and kicks out to an open Boozer for a dagger 3.

Inverted PNR

As Duke landed body blow after body blow, Michigan’s late-game offense managed just enough to keep the drama alive. Cadeau matched Boozer’s pop 3 with his first field goal of the game: a 3-pointer with 1:39 remaining. Up 64-61, the Blue Devils only needed to run some clock, avoid a turnover and score one more time to put a lid on this epic matchup. Given the stakes, it wasn’t surprising that Scheyer chose to run an inverted pick-and-roll with Boozer and Evans.

Throughout the season, as I’ve noted, the inverted ball screen with Boozer has become a staple of Duke’s offense. One could argue it’s the team’s go-to play in high-leverage situations.

Save for the December win over Lipscomb, I’ve charted every Duke game this season, including exhibitions against UCF and Tennessee. According to my database, Duke has run some form of the inverted pick-and-roll with Cam in “end-of-half” scenarios 31 times — seven of which came directly after a timeout. These possessions have appeared in several of Duke’s primetime matchups: Kansas, Florida, Michigan State, Texas Tech, SMU, Louisville, UNC and now Michigan.

This set against Dusty May’s squad didn’t come directly after a timeout, but as the clock ticked down, Scheyer orchestrated from the sideline, placing Duke in a “1-4 Flat” alignment: Boozer with the ball up top and four teammates spaced evenly along the baseline.

Evans has been the primary screening partner in these inverted actions, though several other guards and wings — including Foster, Sarr, Nik Khamenia and Darren Harris — have also filled the role. On this possession, Evans is chosen as the screener. He starts near the left block and sprints toward Boozer, who is defended by Johnson. Just before reaching Johnson, however, Evans slips and drifts out to the right wing.

Because Evans doesn’t actually set the ball screen on Johnson, Michigan — if it wanted to — has no real opportunity to switch. If Evans had held his screen for Boozer, perhaps Lendeborg, defending Evans, would have switched onto Boozer, slowed the drive, flattened things out and kept the ball out of the paint. Instead, the ghost action forces Johnson — a big man in space — to navigate an obstacle, flip his hips and try to stay in front of Boozer.

By pulling Evans and Lendeborg to the right side of the floor, Duke widens the lane for Boozer to attack. There’s only one potential help defender on that side — Cadeau — and he’s unlikely to leave Foster, a 39.8 percent 3-point shooter, stationed in the strong-side corner. Boozer (2.2 assists on 3-pointers per 40 minutes this season) can drive downhill to his left, mostly confident that a help defender is unlikely to challenge his dribble. If Cadeau leaves Foster, it’s an easy kick-out pass.

With the left side of the floor cleared and just enough leverage on Johnson, Boozer drives downhill and shifts into one of his go-to moves: spinning off his right shoulder and returning to his right hand. The maneuver allows him to chisel his way closer to the rim and create separation from Johnson. Working against a high-level defender, Boozer executes perfectly. Mara arrives to contest the shot but makes a critical error, committing an obvious goaltend that erases the doubt of the shot even going in.

The 1-4 Flat design, and how it allowed Boozer to get into a gap against an elite defense in a leverage situation, was a clever call from Duke’s staff. According to my database, I’ve only charted one other instance this season of Duke running an inverted pick-and-roll with Boozer out of this 1-4 Flat alignment. That occurrence came five weeks ago in another end-of-half scenario, albeit at the tail end of a blowout win at Cal.

There are some similarities between the two plays: Foster again spaces to the left corner, and the 5 — Brown — is positioned in the right dunker spot, just as Ngongba was against Michigan. However, the play unfolds differently: Evans starts in the right corner, and it’s Khamenia who sets the first inverted screen, lifting from the left dunker spot to pick for Boozer. I’ve labeled this action “1-4 Twist 41” because as soon as Khamenia sets the screen and clears out, Evans sprints up from the right corner, delivering a second (“Twist”) screen and running the inverted ghost action with Boozer.

Cal stayed in front of the ball, and with no clear lane to drive, Boozer settled for an off-dribble 3-point attempt.

It’s an absolute certainty that Michigan prepped for the inverted action between Boozer and Evans: assignments, coverages and rotations. The staff may have even looked at every screening action between the two this season. But it’s still tough to cover, especially when Duke can organize its spacing and launch the action from a different look.

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Up Next: No Rest For The Weary

We’re so close to March…I’m pretty sure Jon Rothstein is practically burbling with face-melting excitement.

Duke now heads north to South Bend for a matchup with a Notre Dame team ranked in the KenPom Top 100 on both ends of the floor, featuring two of the ACC’s best shooters: Braeden Shrewsberry and Cole Certa.

After that, three games remain before the postseason and the ACC Tournament — three KenPom Top 30 opponents: Virginia, NC State and a rematch with UNC.

Make sure you stop and smell the flowers. The stretch run is here.

Every second of the 30-second shot clock is precious. A finite resource. But each second also offers another opportunity, another moment to screen, cut and press the advantage. The more the players share the floor, the more instinctive their reads become and the more naturally one action flows into the next.

For the second straight season, Duke’s offense is on pace to assist on more than 58 percent of its field goals. The Blue Devils currently rank 55th nationally in assist rate, setting up 58.3 percent of their made shots. The 2024-25 team assisted on 58.5 percent of its buckets — a Top 50 mark in Division I.

Powered by downhill creators Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel and anchored by the rim-running presence of center Khaman Maluach (81 dunks, 75.4 percent on 2PA), Duke finished Top 10 nationally last season in 2-point percentage at a scorching 57.9 percent. Through 26 games this season, the Blue Devils are shooting 62 percent inside the arc, ranking in the Top 5 nationally alongside other elite offenses: Miami (Ohio), Utah State and Michigan.

The Blue Devils may not have the above-the-rim pyrotechnics of Flagg and Maluach, but Jon Scheyer’s team is also averaging slightly more dunks per game this season — well above where the offense was two or three seasons ago.

• 2025-26: 125 dunks in 26 games, 4.8 dunks per game

• 2024-25: 172 dunks in 39 games, 4.4 dunks per game

• 2023-24: 101 dunks in 36 games, 2.8 dunks per game

• 2022-23: 113 dunks in 36 games, 3.1 dunks per game

Dunks per game isn’t the perfect measure of dominance or efficiency at the rim, but it does underscore this team’s tempo on that end of the floor — how consistently it pushes in the secondary break and off turnovers (with the defense’s turnover rate up to 19 percent this season) — and the premium it places on attacking the basket.

Every team in the country wants to get downhill, touch the paint and generate quality shots: finishes at the rim and kick-outs for open 3-pointers. But wanting to do it and actually doing it are two different things. Success in the paint requires a blend of talent, size, scheme and ball movement to consistently create those high-value looks.

The Blue Devils have that formula, starting with the dynamic frontcourt tandem of Cameron Boozer (6-9, 250) and Patrick Ngongba (6-11, 250), with Maliq Brown (6-9, 225) — one of the top bench players in the country — providing additional impact and versatility. According to CBB Analytics, all three are shooting better than 71 percent at the rim and have thrown down at least 27 dunks apiece.

• Boozer: 65.1 2P%, 74.1 2P% at rim, 35 dunks

• Ngongba: 66.9 2P%, 71.8 2P% at rim, 33 dunks

• Brown: 76.1 2P%, 77.6 2P% at rim, 27 dunks

Duke’s core advantage this season isn’t just the finishing power of its top three big men. It goes deeper. The real strength lies in the unselfishness and passing vision of three high-feel players who happen to be big men, combined with how Duke’s 5-out scheme maximizes those talents.

With its mix of talent and scheme, the Blue Devils initiate much of their offense from the high post, working through the 4 and 5, who often space out to the slot or wing — extending from the elbow. This approach not only puts the ball in the hands of Duke’s best playmakers but also pulls opposing big men away from the rim.

By starting possessions in a 5-out alignment, Duke positions all five offensive players outside the paint, opening up the floor and creating room for cuts to the basket.

Now, let’s take a look at one of Duke’s primary high-post actions. It features Cameron Boozer as the cutter, the 5 (Ngongba or Brown) as the facilitator and one of the guards or wings — often Isaiah Evans — as the screener.

This is Duke’s “Elbow” series.

Elbow Room

The action begins with Boozer stationed in the middle of the floor, well beyond the arc. He enters the possession by receiving a pass and reversing it to the 5 positioned on the opposite wing or slot. As soon as Boozer swings the ball to the 5 — Ngongba on this possession against Clemson — he sprints into a basket cut while Evans lifts from the weak-side corner.

Evans then sets a back (“rip”) screen on Boozer’s defender (Nick Davidson), and Ngongba immediately looks to reward Boozer on the cut to the rim.

Coming off a well-timed rip screen from Evans, Boozer slices into open space. Only two Clemson defenders are below the free-throw line — Jestin Porter (1) and Dillon Hunter (2) — and both are smaller guards. Neither is in position to provide meaningful help as Boozer streaks to the rim.

Trailing the play, Davidson (11) has a heavy burden. He must navigate the screen and recover in time to contest Boozer at the rim. With Ngongba delivering a perfectly timed pass, Davidson has no chance to disrupt the finish.

Out of a timeout, Duke goes to the same Elbow action against Boston College — this time with Brown at the 5. Boozer initiates from the middle of the floor, reverses the ball to Brown and then dives to the rim off another back screen from Evans.

Donald Hand Jr. (13) briefly leaves Evans to track Boozer, but he’s quickly pulled back out to the perimeter when Evans pops to the top of the key. Meanwhile, Aidan Shaw (23) gets hung up on the back screen, allowing Boozer to slip free. Brown recognizes the opening and threads a bounce pass inside for a layup.

Evans provides significant value as an off-ball mover. Defenses must respect his 3-point shooting (14.7 3PA per 100 possessions, 36.1 3P%), and Duke capitalizes on this gravity by using him as an impactful screener. His screens can create confusion, as defenders are reluctant to leave him open for more than a split second to help on a cutter. Opponents may attempt to switch these actions, but that requires precise communication and quick decision-making, too. Even when switches occur, Duke still generates favorable mismatches: Boozer in the post against a smaller defender, while the opposing big is forced to chase Evans around the perimeter.

This action is reminiscent of the “Shuffle” series the San Antonio Spurs once ran through Tim Duncan. It’s simple in structure, but its effectiveness has become a key component of Duke’s offense.

I refer to this as Duke’s “Elbow” action because, well, when the Blue Devils want to run it, coaches and players signal it by tapping their elbow.

As Scheyer taps his right elbow on the sideline at Cal, Boozer passes to Brown on the right wing, and Evans lifts from the left corner to set the rip screen.

Cal has Boozer momentarily covered on the back cut, but as Evans pops and lifts into a potential handoff with Brown, two defenders hesitate, unsure of how to react: Milos Ilic (8) and Dai Dai Ames (7). Ames abandons Boozer in the paint, while Ilic drifts into no-man’s land. Brown reads it perfectly and delivers a pass to Boozer for the uncontested dunk.

Once again, Brown and Boozer will connect on this same action in Chapel Hill. To start, Boozer signals the play by tapping his right elbow as Caleb Foster brings the ball up the floor.

With the larger Jarin Stevenson (15) guarding Evans, Duke opts to have Dame Sarr, defended by point guard Derek Dixon (3), set the rip screen this time. Sarr doesn’t carry the same gravity as Evans, obviously, but with no backside help and Henri Veesaar’s (13) body turned toward the ball, Brown has space to lob a pass over the top, which Boozer finishes with an uncontested layup.

Following elbow-tap signals from Cayden and Cam Boozer, Duke runs the same action in the first half at North Carolina. Caleb Wilson (8) — arguably the top defensive prospect for the 2026 NBA Draft — slips around Sarr’s screen as Dixon stays low. Rather than cutting into traffic, Boozer stays above the screen, where Brown finds him in the middle of the floor. From there: Boozer, Sarr, and Brown execute a quick tic-tac-toe passing sequence around the paint, resulting in a layup for Brown.

In Blacksburg, the Blue Devils run Elbow against Virginia Tech, with Foster signaling the play as he brings the ball up the floor.

With assistant coach Evan Bradds also signaling in from the bench, Boozer quickly follows by tapping his right elbow as well.

Virginia Tech, however, defends this possession differently than in previous examples. Throughout the game, Mike Young and the Hokies aggressively sagged off Ngongba and Brown: two centers capable of hitting 3-pointers, but not exactly high-volume perimeter threats.

Boozer passes to Ngongba on the right wing as freshman center Christian Gurdak (32) lingers near the restricted area.

Nik Khamenia lifts to set the back pick for Boozer, but with Gurdak lingering in the paint, the cut’s opening is significantly reduced.

Ngongba’s 3-point shot is still very much a work in progress (7-of-26 3PA this season, 26.9 3P%), but there’s literally no one contesting him on the perimeter. It’s a calculated gamble by Virginia Tech; the Hokies are willing to take on extra risk to contain Duke’s interior offense. Still, Ngongba is skilled and confident. He embraces the space and lets it fly, draining the wide-open 3.

Counters

While the first read off this action is Boozer on the back cut, that option isn’t always available. If defenses take away the primary look, Duke has counters it can flow into from Elbow.

Razor or “Peja” Action

This comes from Duke’s first half-court play of the 2025-26 season. The Blue Devils run Elbow against Texas, and the Longhorns do a good job covering Boozer after the back screen: Dailyn Swain (3) lingers in the paint long enough to deny the direct-line pass, while Nic Codie (10) fights over the screen and recovers back to Boozer.

Texas has two defenders on Boozer, freeing up Evans and allowing Duke to flow into one of its customary 2-on-1 handoff actions. After setting the back screen, Evans sprints into a handoff with Ngongba. I refer to this as “Razor” action, though it’s also called “Peja” action in basketball circles — a back screen leading into a handoff. Texas center Matas Vokietaitis (8) is left to corral the Ngongba-Evans handoff as Swain tries to recover, and with Vokietaitis in drop coverage, Evans slips off the screen into space and launches a 3-pointer.

Here’s the same action against Texas Tech: JT Toppin (15) stays with Boozer on the back screen, but as Evans clears Ngongba’s handoff, he emerges into open space with LeJuan Watts (3) in drop coverage.

Evans misses this shot as well, but it’s good process by the Blue Devils and a reminder of the chemistry he shares with Ngongba. That connection becomes a key element of Duke’s 5-out offense when the initial action doesn’t produce a score.

On the first play of the second half at Michigan State, Duke kicks off another Elbow series. Evans, once again, sets the back screen for Boozer before curling toward Ngongba for a potential handoff. Ngongba could flip the ball to Evans, but as Boozer cuts, Jeremy Fears (1) digs in from the right wing to help in the paint, leaving Foster open.

Ngongba’s pass to Foster is a little off the money, preventing Duke’s point guard from stepping into a catch-and-shoot 3 as Fears closes back out. However, Foster is now perfectly positioned to feed a post-entry pass to Boozer, which Ngongba signals him to do. Boozer goes to work 1-on-1 and blows past Carson Cooper (15) on the face-up drive for a layup.

Boozer’s downhill gravity can be a wrecking ball for Duke’s offense. When he cuts, the defense bends, and riskier defensive approaches can open up all kinds of opportunities.

For example: Duke runs Elbow on an after-timeout (ATO) play against Texas Tech. Evans sets a solid back screen on Toppin, and as Toppin struggles to fight through, Tyeree Bryan (1) crashes from the strong-side corner to cover Boozer. That leaves Khamenia (3.7 corner 3PA per 40 minutes) completely unoccupied. Ngongba finds him, and the freshman wing drains a wide-open 3.

Late in the first half against Arkansas, Ngongba has to add a bit more arc on his pass to the cutting Boozer (Malique Ewing may even get a hand on it), which gives Trevon Brazile (7) time to recover to the play. Darius Acuff (5) leaves Foster in the left corner to help on Boozer, opening up a kick-out sequence: Boozer swings to Evans, who finds Foster — around Billy Richmond (24) — for an open corner 3-point look.

One of the things that makes the Ngongba-Boozer connection so potent is how smoothly both players process the game. They read the floor, make quick decisions with the ball, stay ahead of the defense and look to set up teammates for easy scoring opportunities.

Spread Screen-Roll

If Boozer is covered coming off the back screen, Duke doesn’t have to flow into the Razor/handoff to run 1-5 action. The Blue Devils can instead dial up a 1-5 spread pick-and-roll.

As Cayden Boozer brings the ball up the floor, he signals the Elbow action multiple times. Cam Boozer is well defended off Foster’s back screen. Rather than sprinting toward Brown, Foster pops to the top of the key, which Brown uses to trigger a quick pitch-and-chase pick-and-roll — throwing over to Foster and immediately lifting to set a screen. The sequence eventually results in a post-up, with Boozer ducking in and finishing an and-one off his own miss.

According to CBB Analytics, Boozer is shooting 75.6 percent on put-back attempts this season (81st percentile) and he leads Duke with 23 and-ones — 13 more than Evans, the next closest Blue Devil.

Flex Post-up

Another progression from Elbow is for Duke to flow into a Boozer post-up, often off a small Flex action.

On an ATO play at Virginia Tech, after cutting down the lane without receiving Ngongba’s pass, Boozer continues and sets a Flex screen for Khamenia, who cuts over the top and clears out to the weak-side corner.

Ngongba could look for Khamenia on the Flex cut, but the angle is difficult. More importantly, this action is designed to clear out that side of the floor for a Boozer post-up. After the post-entry pass, Boozer goes to work; when the double team arrives, he kicks it out to his twin in the right corner for an open 3-point attempt.

Against UNC on the road, Duke runs the same Elbow Flex sequence into a post-up for Boozer, who sets a screen for Sarr before receiving the post entry. The Tar Heels bring a big-to-big double team, with Veesaar dropping in from one pass away. Boozer reverse dribbles away from the pressure and, once again, skips the ball to the weak-side corner for an open spot-up 3 — this time for Sarr.

Pinch Post Flow

If Boozer is blanketed on the cut and Evans doesn’t have an immediate catch-and-shoot opportunity, the Blue Devils can recycle the offense: throwing the ball back to Ngongba in the pinch post and working into the blender, cutting and moving off his high-post facilitation.

With the initial actions taken off the table at Stanford, Duke flows into its half-court flash game. Ngongba lifts back to the elbow, followed by a pass back from Evans. Now, it’s just two players with strong chemistry playing off one another. This isn’t scripted, but Evans threatens to sprint back toward Ngongba for a handoff, which causes Benny Gealer (5) to swing his hips and open up the top side. Evans and Ngongba read it perfectly: back cut.

Boozer occupies the weak-side low-man defender, and every other Cardinal is nowhere near the paint. Evans strolls down the proverbial red carpet and finishes with authority as Ngongba dimes him for two. This is how an offense plays out of the play. This is read-react basketball.

Following a Boogie Fland (0) deflection, Duke finds itself in a scramble against Florida off the initial Elbow action. The Blue Devils settle things with a Boozer post-up and a reset to Ngongba in the right slot. Ngongba’s touch triggers a “Spurs” cut from Evans, who arcs around and off Ngongba — Tony Parker around Tim Duncan style.

The cut from Evans pulls Florida center Alex Condon (21) a step closer to the paint, opening up Ngongba for the late-clock 3. Without touching the ball, Evans uses movement to help open up his teammates.

Covert Connections

Duke can also shift its pieces around the floor to show defenses different looks before running various versions of the back screen/Shuffle series off the 5 in the high post.

Here’s the first play of the game against Kansas. Duke spaces Boozer to the right side of the floor instead of the middle, with Ngongba near the left slot. As Foster initiates the offense, Evans curls toward the middle off a brush screen from Ngongba.

Foster passes to Ngongba on the left wing and cuts through to the left corner. Evans continues his curl, guiding his defender into the lane. This is where his showmanship shines: Evans sells his downward cut, pivots and wheels back up to set the back screen for Boozer.

Flory Bidunga (40) plays off Ngongba, which clutters the passing lane but applies no pressure on the ball. Boozer cuts into space, and Ngongba times his pass perfectly, threading it around the rangy Bidunga and finding Cam for an easy finish.

Late in the game, as Duke looks to close things out, the Blue Devils run the same set following another timeout. Boozer gets behind the defense, and Ngongba finds him once again. Although the initial attempt is blocked, Boozer stays aggressive and finishes on the put-back.

Coming Up: Mighty Michigan

Duke’s process will be put to the test this Saturday: No. 1 Michigan, boasting the most efficient defense in the country, awaits in Washington, D.C.

Dusty May’s team ranks second nationally in block rate at 16.2 percent. Overall, opponents are converting just 42.8 percent of their 2-point attempts against Michigan. According to InStat, opponents have made only 47 percent of cut field goal attempts around the basket against the Wolverines, all of which are elite numbers.

The defense is anchored by a star-studded frontcourt: Yaxel Lendeborg (6-9, 240), Morez Johnson (6-9, 250), and Aday Mara (7‑3, 255), each with a block rate above 4.5 percent.

Mara ranks fifth nationally with a block rate of 12.9 percent. His size and activity make him an imposing backbone for Michigan’s defense.

Johnson is remarkably nimble and athletic for his size. He can switch onto guards along the perimeter while also serving as a formidable rim protector and providing excellent rebounding presence on the glass.

I was impressed with Johnson’s game last summer, playing with Team USA at the U-19 FIBA World Cup, where he won gold alongside Khamenia. Before that, he had an impressive freshman season at Illinois, though he unfortunately missed the Duke game after suffering an injury following this spectacular block against Michigan State.

Lendeborg is older, but he’s one of the top players in the country and a leading prospect for the 2026 NBA Draft. While he’s better known for his offensive playmaking, he’s exceptionally strong and can be highly disruptive on defense, aided by a 7-foot-3 wingspan.

When those three are on the floor together, they blot out the sun: Michigan is +104 in 211 minutes while allowing just 89.9 points per 100 possessions (100th percentile). During that time, the Wolverines boast an incredible block rate of 23.2 percent, and opponents are shooting under 57 percent from within 4.5 feet of the rim, according to CBB Analytics.

Even if Duke can pull some size away from the rim by going 5-out, Michigan has the size and versatility to adjust quickly. The Wolverines will be locked in on these 5-out cut actions, so the Blue Devils must be precise and execute perfectly. There’s very little margin for error.

Duke will almost certainly look to run its inverted pick-and-roll concepts with Cam Boozer and either Evans or Foster, depending on how the defense aligns. While Michigan is tough and physical defensively, the Wolverines do play some smaller guards, like former UNC point guard Elliot Cadeau (6‑0, 180). Cadeau could be a focal point for Duke to attack, though that’s easier said than done for many reasons. In fact, May will likely manage his primary assignment carefully. Michigan’s wings are a tougher matchup: Trey McKenney (6‑4, 225), Roddy Gayle (6‑5, 210), and Nimari Burnett (6‑5, 195).

Bottom line: Duke has shot below 50 percent on 2-point attempts just three times (2-1 record) this season: Texas, Michigan State, and UNC. Projection models have this game close, making it an excellent matchup. Duke will need Boozer, Ngongba and Brown to stay out of foul trouble and deliver a monster effort in finishing, passing, and screening.

Immovable object vs. unstoppable force: something’s gotta give.

Transition Defense: Both Shades of Blue

This may seem a bit basic, but transition defense is the secret sauce in college hoops. Whether it’s after a turnover, an opponent defensive rebound or a secondary opportunity following a made shot, teams that get numbers back, stop the ball and match up consistently put themselves in position to succeed.

That’s easier said than done, of course. It requires proper floor balance on offense — making sure the opponent can’t secure a rebound and race down the floor without resistance — along with communication and sustained effort. Over the course of 40 minutes, every defense will give something up in transition. Live-ball turnovers happen, and talented offensive players make tough shots. Still, it’s imperative to cut down on self-inflicted opportunities.

By the numbers, North Carolina’s defense has been solid this season. A low foul rate and a strong defensive rebounding presence have formed the foundation of a top-60 unit, according to KenPom’s adjusted efficiency metric. Things have gotten a little wobbly in ACC play, though some of that may be attributable to opponent shooting variance. ACC foes have made 41.4 percent of their 3-point attempts against UNC, dead last in the league.

When UNC’s offense scores and the Heels are able to set their defense, they’ve allowed just 0.98 points per possession on the ensuing defensive trip (85th percentile), according to CBB Analytics. On those possessions, opponents are shooting 44.3 percent on 2-point attempts (91st percentile) and 31.4 percent from 3 (73rd percentile), with 36.3 percent of shots coming from beyond the arc.

Those are strong numbers and speak to UNC’s effectiveness as a half-court defense, one that plays drop coverage, funnels opponents into jump shots and allows Caleb Wilson to wreak havoc.

The story changes, however, on possessions following an opponent’s defensive rebound. In those situations, North Carolina has allowed 1.16 points per possession (19th percentile). Opponents are shooting 39.7 percent from 3 on those possessions (14th percentile), with 40.5 percent of their attempts coming from beyond the arc.

Beyond the individual brilliance of freshman guard Ebuka Okorie, one of the reasons Stanford scored 1.3 points per possession and knocked down 15 3-pointers in its comeback win over UNC was North Carolina’s slippage in transition defense. On this play, Okorie pushes the ball up the floor. Jarin Stevenson does well to stop the ball, but Seth Trimble — normally a rock-solid perimeter defender — fails to match up with Ryan Agarwal, trailing the play. Okorie finds him for an open 3-pointer.

Those numbers have worsened against better competition as well. In seven Quad 1 games, UNC’s defense has allowed 1.27 points per possession following an opponent defensive rebound (2nd percentile), with opponents shooting 53.3 percent on 2-point attempts (37th percentile) and 45.8 percent from 3 (1st percentile). The issue showed up repeatedly against Duke last season, too.

In three losses to the Blue Devils in the 2024-25 season, North Carolina allowed 1.14 points per possession after a defensive rebound. This season, Duke’s offense has been even more punishing, scoring 1.27 points per possession in those situations (97th percentile), including a staggering 64 percent shooting on 2-point attempts (100th percentile).

Cameron Boozer is especially dangerous in these situations because of his hit-ahead passing ability.

In 10 Quad 1 games, Duke has scored 1.2 points per possession after a defensive rebound (89th percentile), while shooting 67.6 percent on 2-point attempts (100th percentile).

Conversely, Duke’s defense has allowed just 0.97 points per possession following an opponent defensive rebound (96th percentile). That said, the their transition defense has experienced its share of ups and downs this season.

In the loss to Texas Tech, the Red Raiders went 7-for-7 on 2-point attempts after turnovers, according to CBB Analytics, and scored 1.47 points per possession following a defensive rebound — the worst single-game mark allowed this season by Duke’s Top Five defense. Unsurprisingly, it was one of only two games in which an opponent has topped 1.1 points per possession against Duke as well.

North Carolina, meanwhile, has experienced a jolt offensively with Derek Dixon (40.6 3P%, 19.5 percent assist rate) joining the starting lineup. Over the past five games, the Tar Heels have scored 1.33 points per possession after a defensive rebound and 1.14 points per possession following an opponent field goal.

Bottom line: win the transition battle, execute defensively and you’re probably walking out with a win on Saturday.

When Duke Has the Ball

Here are a few key things to keep an eye on when Duke is on offense.

Inverted Pick-and-Roll With Cam Boozer

With its base 5-out structure and high-end talent, Duke’s offense can generate a lot of creative action with the ball. The offense orbits around Cam Boozer, but there are plenty of moving parts. As the season has progressed, one of Duke’s go-to plays has been an inverted pick-and-roll, with Boozer handling the ball and one of the guards setting the screen.

The Blue Devils have several ways to run these inverted ball screens, along with multiple screening concepts. The guard setting the screen can either hold for Boozer or slip for an open 3-point attempt.

To set up the game-winning three against Florida, Isaiah Evans sets a “hot stove” screen on Rueben Chinyelu, planting both hands on his hips before quickly popping toward the left slot.

Evans can also “ghost” or “blur” the action, creating confusion for the opposing defense by darting to the opposite wing before actually making contact with Boozer’s defender.

Given the complementary skill sets of Boozer and Evans, along with their size and positional differences, and the various forms of this inverted action have become a staple in leverage situations for Jon Scheyer.

Michigan State tries to hedge and recover on this late-game possession, but Boozer turns the corner and gets downhill into the paint. Jeremy Fears leaves Caleb Foster, hoping to sneak his way in for a steal. Boozer, however, senses it and fires the ball out to Foster, left open by Fears, for a game-sealing 3-ball.

The inverted action forces defenses into a hard decision: put two on the ball against Boozer — by having the screener defender show or hedge out — or switch and place a smaller defender on Boozer.

If Boozer gets a switch, he can go to his “Barkley” drives — backing down from the perimeter and using his size to force defenses to send a second defender. If a double team arrives, Boozer can kick out to an open shooter or find a cutter.

Evans isn’t the only screener Duke will deploy, though his 3-point gravity makes him an especially potent partner. Foster has also been a frequent on-ball screener for Boozer.

Furthermore, if the defense hesitates to switch a smaller guard onto Boozer or fails to properly show on the screen, he can turn the corner and attack downhill.

Basically, Duke wants to target the most vulnerable defender and have the player they’re guarding set a screen for Boozer. Defenses that switch these actions can keep the ball in front and deny catch-and-shoot opportunities for Evans, but this approach carries the risk of putting a smaller defender on Boozer in space.

Assuming Caleb Wilson is the primary defender on Boozer, UNC should feel confident in the 1-on-1 matchup: one of the best defenders in the country against one of the top offensive players in college basketball.

If Boozer struggles to attack Wilson 1-on-1 — either in space or in the post — Duke will continue running these inverted actions to force one of UNC’s guards into a difficult position. If Kyan Evans (6-2, 175) is on the floor, he’ll have a target on his back. Other guards, like Trimble, Dixon and Jadon Young, offer more size and strength on the ball, but they, too, could be tested.

When UNC goes big, playing Wilson alongside another big and Jarin Stevenson, they’re less vulnerable to switches. North Carolina has logged 274 minutes in these lineups this season (+103), according to CBB Analytics.

That said, Stevenson’s minutes could also give Duke an opportunity to shift Cam Boozer defensively from time to time (more on this later), allowing them to avoid having him guard Wilson directly, if they so choose.

To Double the Post or Not Double the Post, That is The Question

Duke’s offense is known for its 5-out spacing and creative, sequenced actions. One of the most efficient ways the Blue Devils pressure the paint and create advantage situations — forcing the defense to commit a second defender — is through the post. With Boozer and Ngongba, Duke has two elite low-post players who can do it all: score with power, use precise footwork for face-up drives and make passes out of double teams.

The Blue Devils, in early offense, like to punch the ball into the post and attack 1-on-1 matchups.

Over the past month, Duke has increased its use of post-up action for Boozer off a cross screen from Evans, who then cuts up the middle of the lane off a down screen from Ngongba — creating a screen-the-screener sequence.

The cross screen is a simple tactic, but it allows Boozer to establish strong post position with an empty corner and a wing player ready to deliver an entry. From this deeper position, Boozer is in a good spot to score 1-on-1 or force the defense to send a double team.

This is where Boozer becomes a dangerous half-court passer. If the defense commits a second defender within 15-18 feet, he can kick out to an open shooter or find a cutter. Ngongba (69.4 2P%) and Brown (75.8 2P%) are both excellent interior finishers with reliable hands.

If the defense brings the center to double Boozer, he’ll look to find Brown or Ngongba at the front of the rim. Crisp weak-side rotations are critical; if the opposite guard or wing is slow or fails to rotate down, Boozer will find teammates for easy dunks and layups.

When the Tar Heels played at SMU recently, they had to contend with sophomore center Samet Yigitoglu, a 7-foot-2, 250-pound powerhouse who is also one of the most productive post scorers in the ACC.

UNC sent double teams at Yigitoglu on some possessions, including a second-half post touch on the left side of the floor. As SMU flows from a 5-out setup into a Yigitoglu post-up, Veesaar serves as the primary defender. But as Yigitoglu begins to work, Stevenson slides down from the top of the key, creating a post-post double team.

Stevenson’s double team triggers a slot cut from power forward Jaden Toombs, who slides down the middle of the lane. This puts a lot of pressure on Jonathan Powell, the low-man weak-side defender. It’s his responsibility to rotate over and get in front of Toombs. That’s his fire to put out.

Powell, however, is a step too slow to rotate over, and Toombs cuts free to the hoop, where Yigitoglu hits him for a layup.

From back in December: East Tennessee State ran a little Floppy action into a designed post-up, with Veesaar again serving as the primary post defender. Right off the catch, Wilson sprints over from the opposite block to double the post. He telegraphs his approach and takes a poor angle on the offensive center, who is facing the basket and can see the entire play developing. Luka Bogavac is also late rotating down, resulting in an easy cut finish at the rim.

While UNC has had some trouble rotating out of post doubles this season, the defense boasts plenty of length and size, anchored by Wilson — a nitrous-powered athlete and one of the most explosive, rangy defensive prospects in recent years. They’re also capable of dialing in and executing the rotations correctly.

Earlier in the matchup at SMU, Wilson and UNC’s help defenders executed two post-post doubles on a single possession, forcing the Mustangs into a contested, off-dribble 3-pointer late in the shot clock.

It’s certainly no guarantee that UNC will double the post against Duke. In fact, I’d bet Hubert Davis will have his team start with single coverage, aiming to limit rotations against the passing of Boozer and Ngongba.

UNC has mixed its defensive coverages in the post this season, often relying on single coverage with Wilson, Veesaar, and Stevenson. During the comeback win on the road in Charlottesville, UNC had Wilson guard Virginia power forward Thijs De Ridder 1-on-1.

This is an instructive matchup to pull from, too: De Ridder, like Boozer, is a versatile frontcourt talent who can create offense from all over the floor, including as a bulldozing post-up piece. If UNC was comfortable leaving Wilson on an island against De Ridder, perhaps the same belief carries over to Boozer.

The concern for UNC — and for Wilson in particular — may be Boozer’s ability to draw fouls. Like Wilson, Boozer is one of the nation’s best at generating and finishing through contact.

• Cam Boozer: 6.2 fouls drawn per 40 minutes, 47.5 percent FTA rate

• Caleb Wilson: 6.8 fouls drawn per 40 minutes, 62.1 percent FTA rate (an insane number)

This sets up a mini battle within the larger matchup: if these two go head-to-head and battle on the glass for extended stretches, contact is inevitable, which could lead to whistles. Let’s just hope both Boozer and Wilson can stay out of foul trouble. I want to see them on the floor as much as possible.

Chasing Isaiah Evans

The off-ball production of Evans is one of the most impactful elements of Duke’s half-court offense. Whether he’s running around screens or setting them himself, Evans is an agent of chaos, forcing defenses to bend and reach in response to his movement.

Similar to how it defends ball screens, UNC’s defense uses drop coverage against off-ball down screens, keeping Veesaar several feet below the level of the pick. For example: as UVA’s Sam Lewis curls off a wide pindown, Powell chases from behind while Veesaar sits in the drop with a foot in the lane.

Veesaar’s first step is deeper into the paint. With Ugonna Onyenso diving to the rim on the weak side, Veesaar doesn’t fully commit to the ball. Lewis takes advantage of Veesaar’s hesitation on the roll and attacks downhill to the rim.

It’ll be interesting to see how Evans fares against these coverages coming off down screens. He’s not just a long-range shooter; Evans (57 2P%) will also curl into the midrange or use the screen’s momentum to attack downhill.

Evans should see these looks several times during the game. Can he knock down a few jumpers and force UNC to question its drop coverage? If he attacks the curls aggressively, can he pull Veesaar in and open up Brown or Ngongba on the roll? This is a potential swing opportunity.

UNC may look to counter Evans as an off-ball threat by placing Trimble on him and using top-lock coverage — defending from the top side and jamming him to prevent clean paths to down screens. That’s one of the coverages UNC used against Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie when Kyle Smith ran off-ball actions for the freshman point guard.

One tradeoff of having the defensive center guard “off the body” is a vulnerability to flare screens. When the center stays in the paint to protect the rim and his assignment sets a flare screen on the perimeter, it creates an impromptu 2-on-1, forcing the chase defender to fight over the screen.

That defender must stay attached, as the center is too far away to provide help. Johann Grunloh of Virginia sets a flare screen for Dallin Hall against North Carolina. Veesaar sits in the paint, putting pressure on Powell to stick with Hall.

If the spacing and screening are on point, the flare screen a terrific way to create open 3-point shots against this coverage. Duke is apt to take advantage of this particular tendency, especially with an empty corner.

On this possession against SMU, Duke runs what I call its “Spain Swipe” action. It’s a Stack pick-and-roll set, with Dame Sarr clearing from the left to the right corner. Cayden Boozer dribbles off Brown’s screen, and Evans appears ready to set a back pick for Brown, rolling to the rim. Instead, Evans slips out and cuts to the left corner — cleared by Sarr’s cut — off a flare screen from Brown. Yigitoglu sits in the paint, forcing BJ Edwards to chase around a flare from one of the ACC’s best screeners. The result: another Evans 3-ball.

Scheyer has used this approach against UNC as well.

From the ACC Tournament last season: Duke starts in a stack formation, with Ngongba spaced in the right corner. As Sion James clears out to the left side, Ngongba lifts — emptying the corner — and sets a flare screen for Evans. Kon Knueppel delivers a precise pass over the top, and Evans gains enough separation from RJ Davis — with Ven-Allen Lubin dropped in the paint — for a catch-and-shoot look from deep.

These empty-corner flare screens, combined with a center defending off the body, also serve as an effective counter to an aggressive top-lock strategy.

Here against Kansas, Trimble top-locks Darryn Peterson on a baseline out-of-bounds play. Peterson comes off a down screen from Flory Bidunga with Trimble denying the pass, but Kansas is ready to capitalize. Bidunga flips his hips and sets a flare screen for Peterson to cut into the empty corner. With Trimble on the top side, there’s even more ground to cover, leaving him trailing Peterson as he darts back into space.

Barring a schematic adjustment from UNC, it’ll be up to the guards and wings to chase Evans and contest those clean looks from deep. When Evans gets hot, he’s the ultimate ceiling-raiser for Duke’s offense. Hit two or three of these shots, and he can completely change the game.

When UNC Has the Ball

Here are a few key things to keep an eye on when UNC is on offense.

Between The Hedges: Duke’s Screen-Roll Defense

Duke’s defense has picked up some momentum in recent weeks, and several factors have contributed to the improvement — one of which is a shift in how Cam Boozer defends ball screens. For years, Duke’s defense has primarily switched 1-4, with plenty of stretches running 1-5 as a base.

The 1-4 switch was the default for much of the season. However, after a few games where Boozer looked a little shaky defending guards in space, Duke adjusted its approach. Instead of switching, Boozer began defending some ball screen actions in drop coverage, as seen in this possession at Cal. As Justin Pippen comes off an empty-corner ball screen, Boozer positions himself several feet below the level of the screen, resulting in an easy off-dribble 2-pointer.

In recent games, the Blue Devils have started putting Boozer at the 4, with Ngongba and Brown at the 5 — both hard hedging ball screens. I can’t recall the last time a Scheyer-led Duke team had both bigs aggressively hedging screens.

This approach allows Duke to apply significant pressure on the ball and navigate screens by having its guards fight through every action rather than relying on switches. The downside of committing two defenders to the ball is that it stresses rotations: with two defenders on the ball handler, three defenders are left to cover four offensive players.

The Boozer twins combine to hedge this Ben Hammond–Amani Hansberry ball screen at Virginia Tech. Hansberry short-rolls into space, and Hammond hits him with a pocket pass, creating a 4-on-3 advantage.

With Hansberry driving to the basket, Ngongba must pull over to help stop the ball, leaving Tobi Lawal unattended in the corner. Lawal crashes toward the rim and neither Evans, nor Khamenia, rotate down. It’s a quick tic-tac-toe passing sequence from there as Hansberry lobs from to short roll to one of the best vertical athletes in the country.

UNC runs a fair amount of pick-and-roll with Wilson as a screener. He can make plays on the short roll when he catches in pockets of spaces, while Veesaar either spaces the floor (45.9 3P%) or cuts to the basket, benefitting from a rotating defense.

The Tar Heels run their continuity ball screen offense here against Wake Forest, which also hedges ball screens. As the possession flows to empty-corner pick-and-roll on the right side of the floor with Trimble initiating, Wilson gets loose on the short roll. As Wilson catches and drives toward the paint, he pulls in help defenders and finds a cutting Veesaar for a reverse dunk.

Down in Dallas, UNC runs its Wedge Roll series against SMU. This pick-and-roll set is staple for Davis. It involves screen-the-screener action into a pick-and-roll with an empty corner. Powell will screen Corey Washington, Wilson’s defender, as Wilson sprints right to set a ball screen for Dixon.

Wilson initially short rolls toward the mid-post as Washington hedges and traps Dixon. This forces Wilson to pop back out to the arc, receive a pass from Dixon, and attack downhill.

Veesaar has been excellent for UNC this season as both a roll man and a stretch-5, shooting off the pop. When Duke has Ngongba or Brown hedge ball screens against UNC, Veesaar could pop into space for catch-and-shoot 3-pointers or dive to the cup, looking to beat a scrambling defense to the rim.

(The pop actions for Veesaar are a nice counter for North Carolina’s offense against a variety of of screen-roll coverage: hedge, up at the level, weak/down and drop.)

Here against Michigan State, UNC runs its “Chop” series: high handoff action for Bogavac with a stack pick-and-roll setup. As Veesaar screens and rolls, Jaxon Kohler hedges out at Bogavac. When the MSU big tries to recover back to Veesaar, he’s met with a back pick from Evans, who screens and pops out above the arc. Veesaar wins the race to the rim and Bogavac hits him for the high-percentage finish.

If the defense puts two on the ball, North Carolina can really complicate the back-side help rotations when Veesaar rolls downhill on the empty-corner side of the floor.

UNC runs more continuity ball screen offense vs. Wake Forest. On the second side action, Wake Forest center Cooper Schwieger is up at the level on Dixon, leaving Veesaar alone on the roll. Wilson sits in the opposite dunker spot.

The spacing isn’t ideal, and Harris initially shades over as Veesaar rolls into space. However, as Veesaar catches on the short roll, Harris retreats toward Wilson, wary of a cut or lob. While Harris prevents a pass to Wilson, his decision opens a straight-line lane for Veesaar to attack the rim on the short roll.

If Duke’s help rotations aren’t timely against Veesaar and Wilson on rim runs, it could spell trouble. According to CBB Analytics, Wilson and Veesaar have combined for 111 dunks this season. Both are dominant around the basket and can swing games with their powerful finishing.

Matchup Manipulation: Who Guards Who?

The Cam Boozer–Caleb Wilson matchup has been the ACC’s marquee battle all season: two future Top 5 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, both playing the same position at Duke and UNC. What more could the league ask for?

That said, could Duke try to put Sarr, its defensive stopper, on Wilson? Boozer carries a huge playmaking load for Duke’s offense. Can he also chase a freakish talent like Wilson for two without picking up foul trouble? Sarr, meanwhile, is a low-usage wing who primarily spot-ups and cuts in Duke’s half-court offense. Could he be expected to handle his offensive role while expending all his energy trying to smother Wilson?

In recent weeks, Sarr has shown he can be a shutdown corner-style defender on smaller perimeter scorers like Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie and Louisville’s Ryan Conwell. He’s also matched up with Juke Harris of Wake Forest, one of the nation’s top wings. Harris has more size than Conwell or Okorie, but his game is perimeter-oriented, relying heavily on off-ball movement.

Strictly from a physical standpoint, Wilson would present a challenge unlike any Sarr has faced this season. That alone may make this hypothetical matchup a bridge too far for Duke’s staff. The challenge grows when factoring in Boozer’s matchup. If Stevenson is alongside Veesaar, putting Boozer on Stevenson to free Sarr for Wilson — and matching Brown/Ngongba with Veesaar — works on paper. In practice, though, it seems more likely that the Blue Devils will use Sarr primarily on Dixon or Trimble, with Foster guarding the other backcourt player.

Duke could also consider cross-matching at the 4 and 5 during minutes when Brown is on the floor. Brown and Wilson are likely the two best defenders in the ACC on a possession-by-possession basis, so putting Brown on Wilson would allow Duke to maximize its speed and disruptive potential while still matching up in length and size. This scenario would put the sturdier Boozer on Veesaar, which isn’t exactly a walk in the park either.

I imagine Boozer will serve as the primary defender on Wilson, though that could shift depending on the game situation or if Duke’s staff wants to get a little creative.

Going 54 MPH in the Pick-and-Roll: Veesaar & Wilson

Of all the ways UNC has used Veesaar and Wilson together this season, my favorite is the team’s 5-4 pick-and-roll action. They don’t run it often — maybe once per game at most — but it’s far from a novelty. Veesaar as a 7-foot ball-handler with Wilson as the roller has been a potent combination for North Carolina. If the defensive 5 and 4 aren’t prepared to switch or navigate the action, it can lead to a lob finish for Wilson.

I call this UNC’s “Iverson Elbow Get 54” action. To start, one of the off-ball guards (Trimble) cuts across the formation, running along Iverson screens set first by Veesaar and then by Wilson.

After the Iverson cut, the 1 (Dixon) passes the ball to Veesaar at the left elbow. The 1 then chase after his own pass as if Veesaar will hand the ball back. Instead, Veesaar will reverse pivot to the middle of the floor as Wilson lifts up to set a ball screen.

Wilson is incredibly quick and excels at setting those hot stove screens, slipping to the rim before the opposing bigs even know what hit them. Veesaar may not be the next Nikola Jokic, but he has the right approach: put the ball up high and let Wilson go get it.

Here’s the same Iverson Elbow Get 54 set early in the Syracuse game. Once again, Wilson gets inside leverage with the hot stove screen and Veesaar lobs him for an uncontested dunk, which is basically the best possible shot UNC’s offense can generate.

If the defense jams the pick-and-roll, Wilson and Veesaar are skilled and in sync; they can improvise on the fly, as they do here against ETSU, resulting in a quick give-and-go that leads to a Veesaar layup.

Across high-major basketball, only nine players are currenetly shooting better than 65 percent from the field while also posting assist rates of at least 15 percent and defensive rebound rates of 15 percent. That short list includes Texas standout Dailyn Swain, UConn’s Tarris Reed and two-thirds of Michigan’s star-studded frontcourt: forward Yaxel Lendeborg and center Aday Mara. But only one team features three players simultaneously meeting those benchmarks: Duke, with Boozer, Ngongba and Brown.

The season is long, the margins are thin and the numbers will likely shift. However, a review of the Bart Torvik database (dating back to the 2007-08 season) shows that no team has ever finished with more than one player hitting those marks. Likewise, a dive into the Sports Reference archives reveals that no ACC player — going back to the 2002–03 season — has ended a season with those numbers. For the time being, this is uncharted territory and it highlights the unique composition of Duke’s offense.

Through the first 22 games of the season, Duke’s Top 5 offense has produced 10 different two-man assist combinations with 10 or more assists. At least one of Boozer, Ngongba or Brown appears in every one of those assist-to-scorer pairings. For example, Boozer has assisted on 23 Isaiah Evans field goals this season — the most of any two-man group on the roster.

Ngongba has assisted Boozer 17 times, the third-highest total among all combinations. Meanwhile, Boozer has assisted Ngongba 16 times, good for fourth. Brown has dished 15 assists to Boozer, ranking fifth, while Boozer’s 14 assists to Brown rank sixth.

Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer and Evans have stepped up at times to provide crucial on-ball initiation for the Blue Devils. Still, Duke’s Top 10 offense has largely revolved around five-out initiation, inverted pick-and-rolls — particularly involving Boozer and Evans — and the post play of its three frontcourt hubs.

Lineup Stats

Boozer is the primary engine of Duke’s offense, thus he proves to be a vital on-off piece. Lineups that feature Boozer and Ngongba or Boozer and Brown have absolutely demolished opponents this season, according to CBB Analytics:

• Boozer and Ngongba, no Brown: +243 in 387 minutes (+64 in 190 minutes vs. Quad 1 teams), 125.8 points per 100 possessions on offense (97th percentile), 88.8 points allowed per 100 possessions on defense (100th percentile), net rating of +37.1 points per 100 possessions (100th percentile)

• Boozer and Brown, no Ngongba: +137 in 297 minutes (+28 in 143 minutes vs. Quad 1 teams), 128.9 points per 100 possessions on offense (99th percentile), 101.4 points allowed by 100 possessions on offense (89th percentile), net rating of +27.3 points per 100 possessions (98th percentile)

• Ngongba and Brown, no Boozer: +13 in 70 minutes (+12 in 34 minutes vs. Quad 1 teams), 100.7 points per 100 possessions on offense (12th percentile), 89.6 points allowed per 100 possessions on defense (100th percentile), net rating of +11.1 points per 100 possessions (80th percentile)

• Boozer, Ngongba and Brown together: +0 in 17 minutes, 110.6 points scored per 100 possessions on offense (51st percentile), 110.6 points allowed by 100 possessions on defense (49th percentile)

• Boozer on, no Ngongba or Brown: +3 in 14 minutes

Unsurprisingly, the offense takes a noticeable dip when Boozer sits; the spacing and on-ball playmaking just isn’t the same with lineups powered by Ngongba and Brown, although those units have defended well and are +12 in Quad 1 games. That’s enough to hold the fort down.

The bottom line: this offense is powered by a unique playmaking apparatus, one that inverts the action and subverts the conventional guard-driven model. To that end, it behooves Jon Scheyer to find as many ways as possible to synchronize the various two-man combinations of Ngongba, Boozer and Brown when they share the floor — particularly in concert with Isaiah Evans and his off-ball gravity.

Inside Angle: Triangle Series

After Duke bookended its holiday break with two lackluster performances — blowing a 17-point lead to Texas Tech in Manhattan, then grinding out a listless six-point win over a Georgia Tech team that barely cracks the Top 200 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency — the Blue Devils rebounded with a road win at Florida State.

Down in Tallahassee, Duke unveiled a collection of offensive sets built off the same underlying action, which I’ve dubbed its “Triangle” series.

I’m not sure what terminology the Blue Devils use internally, but the name fits: after the initial ball and player movement, Duke ends up with three players stationed in the middle of the floor in a triangular alignment: the 5 (Ngongba or Brown) at the top of the key, the 4 (Boozer) on one low block and a shooter/creator (Evans or Foster) on the opposite block.

Regardless of how it’s labeled, the series has been a big hit for Duke. Beginning with the Florida State game, the Blue Devils have outscored their ACC opponents, including two double-digit wins over Top 20 Louisville, by a combined 151 points, while scoring 124.1 points per 100 possessions, both elite figures.

I also use the “Triangle” label because, in both shape and featured actions, it resembles the Inside Triangle/Motion (“Middle Third”) offensive series Tony Bennett ran at Virginia. That package served as Bennett’s secondary base offense, complementing his famed Blocker Mover (“Sides”) system. For reference, during the 2022–23 season, Virginia frequently ran its Triangle/Motion offense against Duke.

The key difference, however, is this: Virginia ran the series as a continuity offense: two players spaced on opposite sides of the floor, with three others continuously interacting in the middle third through screening, passing and cutting.

Duke, by contrast, has built defined reads into these looks. If those scripted progressions don’t materialize, the Blue Devils flow seamlessly into their 5-out offense and play from there, rather than maintaining continuous middle-third action.

Now, let’s dive deeper into the series and examine the different ways Duke has generated offense with its three-headed frontcourt hydra — plus Evans — starting with how the set initially unfolds and how it functions when opponents send a double team to the post.

Attacking Double Teams: Post-to-Post

The action begins with staggered down screens set by the 4 and 5 for a guard lifting out of the corner. On this possession against Wake Forest, Cam Boozer and Ngongba provide the down screens for Evans.

Evans isn’t using the down screens to hunt a jumper or a quick curl. The movement is simply a trigger to start the action and generate offensive rhythm. He cuts off the screens and clears to the right side of the floor. As Cam Boozer dives to the left block, Ngongba lifts to the top of the key and receives an entry pass from Cayden Boozer.

Ngongba fakes a handoff back to Cayden Boozer as Nik Khamenia lifts from the opposite wing. Ngongba then swings the ball to Khamenia, while Evans slides into the paint to set a cross screen for Boozer, freeing him to the strong-side post.

This is old school basketball: a cross screen leading into a post-up. It’s a simple action, but the screen from Evans lets Boozer establish strong post position as he cuts toward the ball. After setting the cross screen, Evans flows into screen-the-screener (STS) action, cutting up the middle of the lane off a pindown from the 5, Ngongba.

This screen-the-screener action clears out the paint for Boozer while giving the wing another passing option.

Khamenia chooses a post-entry pass to Boozer, which is never a bad decision. Wake Forest immediately brings a post-post double team on the catch, but point guard Nate Calmese is slow to rotate from the weak-side wing, leaving Ngongba open. Boozer makes a quick read and delivers the ball to Ngongba for the big-to-big cut finish.

Here’s the same action from earlier in the first half against Wake Forest — this time with Foster at the 1, Brown at the 5 and Dame Sarr replacing Khamenia. Once again, the Demon Deacons send a double team at Boozer. Wake Forest center Cooper Schwieger (13) leaves Brown to trap Boozer, but backup point guard Sebastian Akins (10) never rotates down from Foster.

This missed rotation by Akins proves costly, leaving Brown (75.8 2P%) wide open for an uncontested dunk off Boozer’s pass. Brown has 24 dunks on the season now, which ranks third on the roster behind — of course — Boozer (29) and Ngongba (30).

You can see from his reaction in the bottom right corner that Wake Forest head coach Steven Forbes wasn’t thrilled with the misstep. This is where Boozer’s passing puts opponents in a tough spot: if you send a second defender to double him in the post, your help-side rotations must be flawless. Slip up, and Boozer will make you pay.

As a result, midway through the game, after Boozer had exploited Wake Forest’s double teams multiple times, Forbes adjusted, opting to defend Boozer’s post-ups 1-on-1. That, of course, carries its own risks. With space and time, Boozer can dominate in isolation, which he does early after the adjustment — powering through Schwieger for a point-blank layup.

Boston College and Earl Grant chose to defend Boozer 1-on-1 in the post. That approach at least limits his passing. When Boozer does pass out of the post, it often leads to interior cuts and perimeter spot-ups, allowing teammates to step into efficient catch-and-finish opportunities. In theory, single coverage keeps the ball in front and forces Boozer to finish through contact.

For that strategy to even have a chance, though, the primary defender must stay attached to Boozer. Instead, Boston College power forward Aidan Shaw (23) tries to shoot the gap and fight over Foster’s cross screen for Boozer, rather than trailing him from behind.

Boozer and Evans are ready for Shaw’s defensive misadventure. Instead of cutting toward the mid-post, Boozer stops in the dunker spot, forcing Shaw to cover extra ground to recover as Evans delivers the pass. The result: another layup for Boozer.

Even when the action is defended well, the trio of Boozer, Ngongba, and Brown have the size, skill and synergy to make it work.

Out west, here’s the same play at Stanford. Evans doesn’t set a perfect cross screen, but Boozer still carves out strong position — prompting another post-to-post double team. Brown, however, seals effectively in the paint on the weak-side guard, opening a window for Boozer to thread a slick pass.

According to CBB Analytics, over 47 percent of Boozer’s assists this season have resulted in rim finishes (76th percentile), giving him a team-leading 2.4 rim assists per 40 minutes (99th percentile). Ngongba isn’t far behind, with 2.3 rim assists per 40 minutes — an impressive 65.9 percent of his total assists (96th percentile). Lineups with Boozer and Ngongba on the floor together are shooting 69.9 percent at the rim (91st percentile).

Attacking Double Teams: Guard-to-Post, One Pass Away

Not every defense doubles the post the same way. Some coaches, like NC State’s Will Wade, prefer to send help from the baseline, while others — when they double — want the extra defender to be the guard one pass away.

This was the approach Pat Kelsey and Louisville used against Boozer last week. As Boozer cuts to the right mid-post off Foster’s screen, Louisville guard Ryan Conwell (3) digs off Sarr in the right slot. This positions a big man between Ngongba and Boozer while keeping weak-side guards Mikel Brown (0) and Adrian Wooley (14) close enough to monitor Foster and Cayden Boozer.

Louisville has the weak-side kick-outs and dunker spot well covered as Conwell comes to double Boozer, but two defenders on the ball inevitably leave someone open. Rather than remaining stationary, Sarr makes a heady move — cutting down the lane, receiving a pass from Cam Boozer and building the advantage with a quick kick-out to Cayden Boozer, who slashes into the paint for the finish.

Think of it this way: sending help from one pass away is risky, as it creates an easy outlet opportunity for Boozer.

During Duke’s win over SMU, the Mustangs also tried to double Cam from up top: a roving guard one pass away.

On this possession, SMU did a solid job covering the initial reads. Jaden Toombs (10) battles Boozer, forcing him to re-post and attack from a face-up position. As Boozer turns away from the help defense, guard Jaron Pierre (5) sneaks down from Sarr to surprise him with a double team dig. Boozer senses Pierre, spins off his left shoulder and delivers the kick-out to Sarr, who keeps the advantage chain alive for Duke with a quick swing to Foster in the weak-side corner.

Foster misses two good catch-and-shoot looks from deep on this possession, but the process is good. Draw two defenders to the ball and play off the advantage.

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Hi Lo vs. Fronting The Post

Later in the matchup with Louisville in Durham, the Cards made some adjustments, trying different coverages on Boozer, including fronting the post. As Evans sets the cross screen for Boozer, Louisville big man Vangelis Zougris (53) works hard to fight through the screen, chase Boozer from behind and then swivel around to front him in the post, denying an easy entry pass from Khamenia.

This is where having high-feel, skilled passers like Brown and Ngongba — two big men who truly understand the game — really pays off. It’s automatic for Duke: with Boozer fronted, the opposite post (Brown) flashes to the elbow or nail while Boozer seals in the paint, setting up an over-the-top hi-lo opportunity with Brown.

It’s Basketball Geometry 101: if the defense fronts the low post, flash another player to the middle of the floor and look for a hi-lo opportunity. As Khamenia dribbles left, Evans smartly lifts further up the floor, giving Brown more room in the high post.

With the defense elevated and Zougris fronting, Brown delivers a lob entry pass that only Boozer can high-point for a quick finish.

Put a Pin In It: Evans as an Off-Ball Mover

While Boozer serves as the primary option in this series as the low-post hub, the screen-the-screener action can create quality looks for Evans, one of the top movement shooters in the country. Boozer naturally draws defensive attention coming off the screen, and if the defenders fail to communicate properly, Evans can slip free — creating major problems for the defense.

That’s exactly what happens here as Duke opens the second half at Florida State with this Triangle STS setup.

After Evans sets the screen for Boozer, FSU’s defense is left scrambled. Martin Somerville (1) switches off Evans onto Boozer, fronting him in the post. Despite the size disadvantage for Somerville, that’d be mostly fine — except Boozer’s original defender, forward Chauncey Wiggins (7), doesn’t pick up Evans. Instead, Wiggins stays with Boozer, leaving FSU doubling a low-post player who doesn’t even have the ball.

In fact, a third defender, center Alex Steen (25), has both feet in the paint, sagging off Foster, as Evans curls off Ngongba’s down screen. Evans misses the shot, but it’s good process by Duke, creating a clean catch-and-shoot opportunity for the team’s top long-range threat.

Playing Out Of The Play

If Duke looks to Evans on the screen-the-screener action but the space needed for a deep shot is taken away, the Blue Devils can flow seamlessly into their 5-out read-and-react offense, as I mentioned above.

On the first half-court possession at Louisville, Isaac McKneely (1) denies Evans the open look off the down screen. Evans counters with a “Get” action — throwing the ball to Ngongba and chasing after it. Ngongba fakes the handoff back to Evans, who curls around him and cuts to the basket, pulling Sananda Fru (13) deeper into the lane as a help defender. With Fru several steps below the arc, Ngongba faces up and fires from deep.

It’s a miss for the sophomore center, but that snappy two-man game that Evans and Ngongba get to is good stuff.

To clog the lane against Boozer and stay with Evans, some opponents choose to have their centers sag off Brown and Ngongba, effectively keeping an extra defender as a “free safety” in the middle of the lane. This is exactly how Mike Young and Virginia Tech positioned Amani Hansberry (13) against Brown on this play. With Brown a full step above the arc, Hansberry stands on the ACC logo in the middle of the lane.

Ngongba (7-of 24 3PA) and Brown (3-of-15 3PA) are capable shooters, but they aren’t exactly stretch-5s. That said, both have been empowered by Duke’s staff to take 3s.

If the opposing center plays off them, they can look to let if fly, which is what happens here: as Khamenia swings the ball to a wide-open Brown, Evans brakes on his cut and reverses the play’s predetermined progressions — effectively setting a screen for Brown.

Hansberry is halfway down the lane, and no Virginia Tech defender even makes an effort to close out on Brown, who drills the open triple.

During the second half in Blacksburg, it’s the same set against the same coverage: Tobi Lawal (1) fronts Boozer in the post and Hansberry defends Brown off the body — preventing a lob over the top to Boozer.

As they did against the Louisville post fronts, the Blue Devils look to feed the high post to open up hi-lo action to Boozer. Hansberry, however, stays in the paint—Virginia Tech refuses to give Boozer a hi-lo feed. Left open, Brown pulls up and misses, but Boozer grabs the offensive rebound. With Hansberry now unassigned due to the junk coverage, Brown cuts into open space, sliding down the lane for a two-handed chin-up finish, courtesy of Boozer.

Reverse Action

Over the last few games, Duke has taken this initial play design and built on it, adding different counters and reads to create confusion. This is what I call the “Triangle Reverse Punch,” designed to generate a post-up for Boozer without using the cross-screen action.

To start, the 4 and 5 — Boozer and Brown, respectively — set the same staggered down screens for Evans coming out of the left corner.

Same setup, but a soon-to-be different story. Brown pops to the middle of the floor as Foster, the 1, passes to him and cuts to the left wing. Meanwhile, Sarr shakes up the right side of the floor. Once again, Duke has its triangle in the middle with Boozer, Evans and Brown.

Brown doesn’t swing the ball to Sarr on the right flank, though, He pivots, reverses the ball and passes back to Foster on the left. With the ball now on the left side, Boozer fakes toward the middle, then seals, with Foster in position for the post-entry pass.

This subtle reverse fake lets Boozer secure strong position sans cross screen and counter Louisville’s defensive front. Zougris gets pinned under Boozer’s quick seal move.

From here, Boozer can do his thing and operate in the post with space, as three shooters space the floor and Brown cuts to the basket, occupying any defenders who might double team the ball.

Next, here’s the same Reverse post-up action for Boozer against Boston College. Boozer’s spin into the paint draws late help, and he finds Brown for another cutting finish at the hoop.

UCLA Cut

Another variation of this series, which Duke ran at Cal, features a post-up for the 5 off a UCLA cut. (A UCLA screen is a back screen that lets a player cut from the strong-side slot to the basket after passing the ball to the wing.)

After the staggered screens, the 5 (Ngongba) lifts to the middle and receives a pass from the 1 (Foster), then fakes a handoff back to the 1 before swinging the ball to the opposite wing.

From the strong-side slot, Ngongba passes to Darren Harris on the right wing. Sarr doesn’t set a cross screen for Boozer this time; instead, he lifts and sets a back screen for Ngongba, who UCLA cuts to the right block. Harris feeds the post and then cuts to the weak side, while Duke spaces the floor around Ngongba’s post touch.

Cal stays home and defends Ngongba’s post-up well, but Foster finds a gap and drives into the paint off an extra pass from Harris. (It’s a quiet feature of his game, but Harris, when he plays, routinely hits the right notes in swing-swing situations and makes the extra pass.)

Floppy

Let’s look at one more variation from this series: the Blue Devils using it to initiate what resembles single-double “Floppy” action for Evans. The action begins the same way, with staggered down screens from Ngongba and Boozer for Evans. Ngongba lifts to the middle and receives the entry pass from Foster.

Here’s where things change: Sarr stays in the corner instead of lifting to the opposite wing, and Ngongba immediately flips the ball back to Foster. There’s no fake DHO exchange between the 5 and 1, and Evans clears to the bottom of the lane.

With Evans now positioned under the basket in the restricted area, the Blue Devils have a single-double setup in place. Boozer provides a single down screen to the right side for Evans, while Sarr and Ngongba can set staggered pindowns on the left. Evans chooses Boozer’s side, and Sarr adjusts his path, cutting up the wing off a down screen from Ngongba.

Evans curls around the screen with his defender in rearview pursuit. He misses the layup, despite some contact around the rim as he attacks downhill. Regardless, it’s a quality look for Evans.

Here’s the same Floppy setup against Wake Forest. Evans again chooses Boozer’s side and curls around the down screen—this time on the left side of the floor. It looks like he has a clear lane to the rim, but as he drives, Juke Harris — one of the top NBA prospects in the country — digs off Khamenia and hangs in the gap to strip the ball.

In the matchup against Boston College, Duke ran a similar off-ball setup for Evans — with a slight twist.

On this possession vs. BC, Sarr initiates by curling the staggered screens from Boozer and Brown, while Evans spaces out to the strong-side corner. Foster gets the action started up top.

Brown pops to the top of the key and receives a pass from Foster. Without dribbling, he immediately flips it back to Foster and cuts to the right, positioning himself as a potential screener for Evans in the right corner. Evans takes a step toward Brown, then plants and cuts the other way, running off pindowns from Sarr and Boozer.

As Evans curls off the double down screens, Sarr lifts off a single pindown from Brown. With his defender, Donald Hand Jr. (13), trailing from behind, Evans’ curl forces Foster’s defender, Chase Forte (9), to jump to the ball and cover the gap. With a second defender on the ball, the screen-and-roll shifts from a 2-on-1 with Evans and Boozer into a 3-on-2, as Evans, Boozer and Foster — relocating from the left slot to the middle — go to work.

Foster’s cut may look nondescript, but it puts him in space and opens a passing window for Evans. When Forte scrambles to close out, Foster uses a shot fake, attacks downhill on the catch-and-go, gets to the rim and draws a shooting foul.

Finally…It’s Time To Look Ahead

Duke will travel to Chapel Hill this weekend for the first of two regular-season meetings with UNC. It’ll be interesting to see whether Duke runs this action against the Tar Heels, how UNC defends it and what new variations the Blue Devils might explore.

Stay tuned to Split The Action for a full preview of the matchup later this week!

With February right around the corner, NC State also ranks Top 30 nationally across several big-picture metrics:

• Turnover Rate: 13.8 percent (No. 14)

• Effective Shooting: 56.4 eFG% (No. 28)

• 3-point percentage: 39 3P% (No. 13)

Moreover, several players are in the midst of career years from an efficiency standpoint. That group includes veterans Tre Holloman — whose true shooting percentage has climbed to 59.2 percent after three seasons at Michigan State (52.4 TS%) — and Ven-Allen Lubin, who is converting 70.5 percent of his 2-point attempts after shooting 61.5 percent across his first three seasons at Notre Dame, Vanderbilt and UNC.

Despite that undeniable success, the Pack still have another gear to reach on the offensive end, and this week’s win over Syracuse may have offered a roadmap of sorts. NC State scored more than 1.25 points per possession against an ACC opponent for the third time this season, rolling to an 88-68 victory as Darrion Williams and Quadir Copeland delivered one of their most impressive collective performances. The duo combined for 42 points on 14-of-25 shooting from the floor and added 14 assists.

As NC State’s two primary playmakers, the offense runs through Williams and Copeland. Currently, only 17 High Major players meet the benchmarks of a 20 percent usage rate, a 20 percent assist rate and 40 percent shooting from beyond the arc (minimum of four 3PA per 100 possessions) — a group that includes both Williams and Copeland. While the list features other standout names — such as Christian Anderson (Texas Tech), Darius Acuff (Arkansas) and Josh Jefferson (Iowa State) — NC State is the only program with two players reaching those marks.

NC State is +154 in 432 minutes with Copeland and Williams on the floor together, scoring 1.24 points per possession (92nd percentile), per CBB Analytics. Against Quad 1 opponents, the Wolfpack are +3 in 147 minutes with the duo sharing the floor, while still producing a strong 1.19 points per possession on offense. Copeland has also recorded 30 or more assists to three different teammates this season, including Williams.

• Copeland-McNeil: 35

• Copeland-Lubin: 31

• Copeland-Williams: 30

The production between the two has been significant. With added help from the off-ball gravity of Paul McNeil, NC State has built a Top 25 offense around their complementary skill sets — two roving mismatch pieces with the size to punish smaller defenders and the passing skills to find open teammates when defenses collapse. Simply put, it’s working.

Copeland is generating 44.3 points per 40 minutes — combining his own scoring with points created via assists — which ranks in the 100th percentile. Meanwhile, Williams is creating an impressive 30.3 points per 40 minutes.

That said, it feels like there’s another level for this pairing to reach. It’s not that the offense leans too heavily into a “your turn, my turn” approach; NC State has built an ecosystem where both players can thrive. However, the Syracuse game highlighted additional opportunities to integrate the two more directly within offensive actions. That connection could unlock greater synergy and serve as a pathway to yet another tier of overall efficiency.

Playing Through The Post

Williams has seen his role expand over the last six games. He’s posted a team-leading 27.8 percent usage rate since the win over Boston College, with Copeland just behind him at 25.8 percent. NC State has gone 5–1 over that span, highlighted by an overtime win at Clemson — its best victory and most complete two-way performance of the season.

As the Pack have moved into the heart of conference play, they’ve increasingly leaned on Williams as a post-up threat, a trend I detailed last week at Pack Power.

According to Instat, 21.1 percent of his possessions over the last five games have been used via post-ups — compared to 15.1 percent over his first 14 games of the season. That averages out to 2.8 possessions per game in that stretch.

According to InStat, 21.1 percent of his possessions over the past five games have come via post-ups, up from 15.1 percent over his first 14 games of the season — an increase that averages out to 2.8 post-up possessions per game during that stretch.

The post-up is an effective avenue for Williams, as it allows him to initiate offense from a different vantage point. In the pick-and-roll, opposing defenses can load up, sit in gaps, position help at the elbows and on the blocks — and shrink potential driving lanes.

From the post, though, Williams can survey the floor for teammates relocating along the perimeter or cutting toward the basket. Rather than trying to go north-south into traffic and tight windows, he can operate from one side of the floor, with all four potential help defenders pushed to the opposite side. He can shield the ball from his defender and see where the help will come from.

This style of offense may be more static or a tad rotate, but there are ways to inject some dynamism into these possessions, which are effective at drawing two defenders to the ball. Thanks to his ability to bully defenders 1-on-1 in the mid-post, Williams is a magnet for extra defensive attention. Whether it comes as a hard double team or early help shaded in his direction, that post-up gravity consistently creates off-ball opportunities for others.

Now, a post-up for Williams doesn’t guarantee an efficient outcome, though it does tend to be a low-turnover possession type. At times, he’ll settle for difficult fadeaway midrange jumpers without fully pressuring the defense.

On this possession against Kansas, Williams isolates against Tre White (3). He backs White down in the post, but instead of powering all the way to the rim, which would have forced Flory Bidunga (40) to step over and potentially leave Lubin (37 dunks this season) open at the doorstep, Williams spins away and hoists a tough shot with 14 seconds still on the shot clock. Not ideal.

It’s not that Williams can’t make these shots. He definitely can. The issue is process. According to CBB Analytics, he has attempted 135 2-point shots this season with an average distance of 8.6 feet from the basket (3rd percentile) and is drawing just 1.1 shooting fouls on 2-point attempts per 40 minutes (35th percentile).

The takeaway is straightforward: Williams is better off taking 2-3 power dribbles to get closer to the basket. The deeper he attacks, the more likely he is to generate a higher-percentage shot, draw a foul or open opportunities for a teammate. It’s low-hanging fruit to grab; he can improve these numbers.

In the Syracuse matchup, Williams still took midrange shots, which are part of his game, but he was more assertive in post/iso situations. That framework and mentality are what matters most.

After a turnover early in the second half, NC State capitalizes on a cross-match, with shooting guard JJ Starling (6‑4, 205) defending the larger Williams. The Wolfpack run their offense, reversing the ball to the left side, where Copeland feeds it into a post-up for Williams.

Williams immediately exploits his strength advantage, backing Starling down into the mid-post. As he nears the paint, all four off-ball defenders are keyed on him, including Donnie Freeman (1) on Copeland one pass away, and William Kyle (42) on Lubin in the opposite dunker spot. If either defender steps to help Starling, Williams has a clear lane to find an open teammate.

Before a double team can arrive, Williams spins baseline with ease, shedding Starling and forcing the help defense to react as Kyle rotates over. Freeman ball-watches for several seconds and loses track of Copeland, who back cuts just as Williams makes his move. Williams could have gone to either Copeland or Lubin — both are open — but he opts for Copeland, who has a head of steam down the lane. With Kyle pulled toward the ball, the rim is open, allowing an uncontested layup against a set half-court defense.

This wasn’t the only time Williams found Copeland off a post-up opportunity.

About 90 seconds into the game, the Wolfpack ran one of their pet post-up sets for Williams. Starting in a 5-out alignment, they cleared the left side for him to isolate in the post, then ran split action off his initiation: Lubin set a flare/throwback screen for Holloman before slipping to the basket.

Williams overpowers the talented Freeman, backing him deep into the restricted area and forcing Kyle to help over. This time, Starling rotates down to deny a potential pass to Lubin. That rotation, however, leaves Copeland open on the weak-side wing, forcing Starling into a late closeout when Williams kicks out. Copeland attacks the poor closeout, gets downhill and draws a shooting foul at the rim.

Copeland is drawing 3.7 shooting fouls per 40 minutes on two-point attempts this season, ranking in the 98th percentile nationally, according to CBB Analytics. He clearly has the ability to create for himself and attack defenses in pick-and-rolls, isolation or transition. That said, it’s a positive for NC State to find ways to get Copeland downhill against unsettled defenses — playing off the catch.

According to InStat, Copeland is shooting 75 percent on cut field goal attempts this season. At 6‑foot‑6 and 220 pounds, he’s difficult to defend when cutting toward the basket, especially against a compromised defense. Using the post-up gravity of Williams is an effective way to generate these opportunities, but it’s not the only one.

Also in the first half against Syracuse, Holloman pushes off a turnover and finds his own cross-match. As he attacks Freeman 1-on-1 in space, weak-side help from Nate Kingz (4) crashes off the corner, while Starling (2) rotates behind Kingz to cover Matt Able in the weak-side corner. Once again, Copeland is left unattended and executes a perfect slot cut, sliding down the lane for an uncontested dunk.

When Copeland gets moving as a cutter, he functions as a connective playmaker — a key part of his value as a pro prospect. Wherever he plays next season, he’s unlikely to dominate the ball the way he does in Raleigh. That’s fine, because he’s a smart off-ball mover who can also serve as a connector, helping build or extend advantages.

For example, at Boston College, Copeland pushes the ball ahead to Terrance Arceneaux, forcing a defensive rotation. Williams cuts to the basket, expanding the advantage and Arceneaux finds him as the BC defense collapses into the paint. Rather than staying atop the floor, Copeland slot cuts down the lane, receives a pass from Williams and quickly redirects it out to Able in the corner.

Five half-court dribbles, no ball screens and the result is a wide-open 3 for a good shooter. Again, getting Copeland in motion can have cascading benefits for NC State’s offense, especially when he’s synched up with Williams.

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Pick-and-Roll into Post-ups

Williams is a versatile offensive talent, and it’s important that his usage be funneled through multiple avenues. He’s a strong pick-and-roll creator, capable of turning ball-screen actions into switches that can then flow into post/iso opportunities.

That’s why NC State’s inverted ball-screen sets and Pistol action on the outer thirds of the floor are so crucial — they create post mismatches for Williams.

On this possession at Pitt, Williams sets an early drag ball screen for Copeland before popping out to the wing, with Holloman immediately lifting to set an inverted ball screen. Williams draws a switch against opposing point guard Damarco Minor (6‑0, 190) and executes his go-to “Barkley” move — backing a defender down from the perimeter into the post. Minor has a major problem: he has no chance 1-on-1, and Pitt never sends help, resulting in an easy interior bucket and a shooting foul.

NC State runs a similar look in the first half against Syracuse. The Pack find themselves in a favorable spot for an inverted pick-and-roll: McNeil sets a ball screen for Williams, with Syracuse guards Naithan George (11) and Kiyan Anthony (7) defending. As Able initiates, McNeil signals for the ball to be swung to Williams.

When Williams receives the ball from Able, McNeil lifts for a step-up screen. Anthony switches onto Williams, but he’s flying downhill and quickly turns the corner. Freeman helps over, leaving Sagnia open in front of the rim. Sadiq White (0) and Tyler Betsey (5) collapse on him, and Sagnia draws a foul.

Around The Horn

Copeland and Williams have been used plenty as a screen-roll partnership this season; however, the Syracuse game was their most effective at generating pick-and-pop opportunities.

This part of NC State’s offense got going early. Williams scored a layup directly off the opening tip-off, and on the Pack’s first half-court possession, they flowed into “3 Across” action, with Williams setting a high ball screen for Copeland while Holloman, Lubin and McNeil spaced along the baseline.

Syracuse stays in front of the ball as Williams slips his screen for Copeland. As Copeland begins sizing up Freeman off the dribble, Kingz steps slightly off Williams on the wing to provide help. It’s not a lot of space, but it’s enough for a quick kick to Williams, who drains a catch-and-shoot 3.

Williams hit five 3-pointers in the game — one shy of his season high (6-of-8 3PA vs. UNC Greensboro) — four of which were assisted by Copeland.

In the second half, Copeland and Williams really started to click in the pick-and-pop. Less than three minutes in, NC State runs “77” action for Copeland: staggered ball screens from Williams and Lubin, with the left corner cleared out.

As both Lubin and Williams pop to the empty side, Copeland hits Lubin on the pop. For a moment, it looks like NC State is about to run an inverted 5-4 pick-and-roll, with Williams setting a screen for Lubin.

For whatever reason, Lubin doesn’t attack the basket. Instead, he kicks it back to Copeland, and the Pack recycle their offense: Williams lifts to set a slot ball screen for Copeland while Holloman (40.3 3P%) and McNeil (41.3 3P%) space out on the right side of the floor.

Copeland dribbles left, and Freeman switches off the screen. However, the switch isn’t fully communicated: Starling stays with Copeland, leaving Williams open on the right wing.

Drawing two defenders to the ball, Copeland kicks it back to Williams. Kingz stunts off Holloman on the wing, and Starling scrambles to contest, but Williams has a clean look and drills another pop 3.

Two minutes later, NC State lines up in a Horns formation: two shooters in the corners — McNeil and Holloman — and two screeners at the elbows, Williams and Lubin.

Copeland drives toward Williams, who lifts to the right slot to set a ball screen. Starling fights over the top of the pick, while Betsey drops below it.

This tactic allows Syracuse to keep a help defender between Copeland and the rim, which is significant. But with Starling chasing the ball from behind, the Orange have two defenders committed to Copeland, leaving Williams unguarded in the middle of the floor.

As Williams pops, Lubin cuts to the rim, pulling Kyle — a potential help defender — away from Williams. Now, all five Syracuse defenders are below the free throw line, including Starling, who has his back turned to Williams; no one is in position to effectively close out.

This is too easy for Copeland. He reads the coverage and makes the correct decision — kicking back to Williams for an uncontested 3-pointer.

According to my charting, Williams has made seven pick-and-pop 3-pointers this season, including three against Syracuse — six of which were assisted by Copeland.

Later in the second half, as NC State was about to make its big final run, the Pack returned to the same Horns Pop action between Copeland and Williams. This time, however, Syracuse tried to defend it by “weaking” the ball screen — pushing Copeland away from the pick and toward his weaker left hand. George angles his body between Copeland and the screen, while Freeman lifts to form a sort of box around him.

While George and Freeman pressure the ball, Williams drifts back toward the right wing, finding open space. To prevent another catch-and-shoot, Anthony flies out off of Able in the right corner and sprints toward Williams.

Anthony, however, isn’t under control and quickly loses containment. Freeman scrambles back, but an open lane emerges, and Williams takes it. As he drives, he could kick out to Able, alone in the corner, but instead he sees a chance to attack the rim. This is where Sagnia comes into play. Drawing inspiration from Marcin Gortat and Daniel Theis, NC State’s center sets a deep seal in the paint on Kyle — essentially an off-ball screen that helps clear a path to the basket.

Kyle is one of the best rim protectors in the country. He ranks in the Top 20 nationally with a block rate of 9.8 percent, and opponents are shooting just 47.2 percent on 2-point attempts against Syracuse’s defense. However, Sagnia uses his frame to legally shield Kyle, preventing him from getting all the way to Williams.

Williams hit nine field goals against Syracuse, four of which came off the pick-and-pop — all assisted by Copeland.

As NC State ran the Horns Pop set, the coaching staff found ways to disguise it before flowing back into the action.

The Wolfpack began this after-timeout (ATO) possession in what appeared to be a 5-out set, initiated at the top by Williams.

This is all window dressing, though. The ball swings around, and five seconds later, NC State is back in its Horns set.

Despite NC State’s chicanery, Syracuse does a much better job defending this possession. Starling initially works to funnel Copeland left, and when Williams sets a screen and Betsey switches out, the defense keeps the ball in front and takes away a pick-and-pop opportunity. Even so, this still creates a mismatch for Copeland, who looks to attack the switch.

Copeland misses the layup, but the process here is sound and it produces a good look at the rim for NC State’s top slasher.

Improving Clutch Offense and Other Low-Hanging Fruit

The more juice NC State can get from shared actions with Copeland and Williams — regardless of who’s initiating or screening — the better. Greater synergy between the two primary creators could also ignite NC State’s offense in late-game situations. According to CBB Analytics, the Pack have scored 1.05 points per possession in “clutch” minutes this season, ranking in the 20th percentile. NC State has shot just 46.2 percent on 2-point attempts (10th percentile) and 25 percent on 3-point attempts in clutch minute this season.

Shot chart via CBB Analytics

However, the Wolfpack have shown they can find ways to ignited Copeland and Williams together in some of these leverage moments, including this pick-and-pop 3-pointer off “Ram Exit” action against Kansas.

Williams has still been highly productive in minutes without Copeland, but his efficiency drops in those possessions. With Copeland on the floor this season, Williams has shot 47.4 percent on 2-point attempts and 43.8 percent on 3-point attempts. Without Copeland, those numbers fall to 37.5 percent on 2s and 33.3 percent on 3s.

(Unsurprisingly, when Williams sits, Copeland takes on an even larger playmaking role: 32.4 percent usage and a 49.4 percent assist rate, compared with 22.4 percent usage and a 35.5 percent assist rate when Williams is on the court.)

The sample size isn’t huge, and there’s likely some noise and bad shooting luck baked into these numbers. Still, they indicate the importance of Copeland in creating more efficient looks for Williams.

In turn, post-up possessions with Williams could create more opportunities for Copeland to play off the movement and attack off the catch.

Williams has 68 assists this season: 25 to Lubin (36.8 percent), 10 to McNeil (14.7 percent), seven to Able (10.3 percent) and seven to Copeland (10.3 percent). That last total seems low given their talents, though a big reason is simply how few unassisted field goals Copeland has this season.

Copeland averages 15.7 unassisted points per 40 minutes, ranking in the 95th percentile nationally. Of his 98 field goals this season, 71 have been unassisted (72.4 percent). In fact, the seven assists from Williams to Copeland are the most of anyone on NC State’s roster.

It should be noted, too, that assists aren’t a perfect catch-all metric for grading things like playmaking and generating open shots for teammates. There are lots of ways to get guys open, including off-ball movement and screens. However, it’d be a boon for State’s offense to use Williams as a means for generating more catch-and-finish looks for Copeland — or vice versa.

Howard arrived from Lincoln after helping architect one of the Big Ten’s most modern and efficient attacks. Nebraska’s offense under Hoiberg thrives on pace, spacing, off-ball movement and quick decision-making. As the ball pops around the floor, the Cornhuskers operate with 4-around 1 and 5-out alignments, stretching the court and forcing defenses to guard multiple actions within the same possession. The results are tangible: Nebraska finished the 2023–24 season Top 35 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, played at a go-go tempo (16.3 seconds per possession, No. 44 nationally) and over 44 percent of its shots from 3-point range (No. 33).

Some of those same concepts are now evident in Raleigh, too, and the numbers back it up. Pace remains a core tenant of the offense: NC State averages just 16.0 seconds per possession (No. 58 nationally), while 45 percent of its field goal attempts come from beyond the arc. Through the first 17 games, NC State owns the No. 23 offense in the country (five spots ahead of 17-0 Nebraska), according to KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rating, ranking among the national elite in several key metrics. The Pack sit No. 5 in 3-point percentage (40.5 3P%), No. 19 in effective field goal percentage (57.5 eFG%) and No. 22 in turnover rate (14.1 TOV%), a combination that underscores both shot quality and offensive principles.

After struggles against Wake Forest and Virginia, scoring under 1.0 points per possession in back-to-back games for the first time all season, NC State’s offense rediscovered its groove, punctuated by a 1.3 points-per-possession performance in a road win at Boston College and a historic shooting display at Florida State. Against FSU, the Pack drained a program-record 19 3-pointers and scored 1.45 points per possession — the most efficient offensive outing by any ACC team in league play this season.

While NC State is unlikely to replicate those bonkers shooting numbers on a night-to-night basis, the offense must continue clicking for the Pack to meet their high preseason expectations. With Selection Sunday less than two months away, the next eight weeks will fly by. This deep dive breaks down NC State’s most efficient and high-priority play types, explains how each set is designed to create opportunities and provides exclusive statistical context that demonstrates why this offense ranks among the nation’s best.

Let’s dive in.

Rim Rate

NC State’s 3-point shots aren’t created by accident. Quite the opposite, in fact. If it were easy to generate open looks from 3-point range, every team would do it. But to consistently generate high-quality looks from deep, an offense must operate with purpose, structure, flow and…also have good players. While the Wolfpack run a variety of actions designed to free shooters like Paul McNeil Jr. for clean catch-and-shoot opportunities, the offense ultimately revolves around a central principle: getting downhill and the paint. By forcing penetration and collapsing the defense, NC State creates the conditions to spray the ball out to the perimeter, producing in-rhythm spot-up 3s.

The Wolfpack want to live in the paint and finish at the rim, where they’re shooting 76 percent this season — good for No. 2 nationally, per CBB Analytics. The primary catalysts for this effort are point guard Quadir Copeland and center Ven-Allen Lubin, who leads the team with 7.1 field goals attempts at the rim per 40 minutes.

• Copeland: 4.6 rim FGA per 40 minutes (85th percentile), 71.2 FG% at rim (81st percentile)

• Lubin: 7.1 rim FGA per 40 minutes (87th percentile), 86.3 FG% at rim (85th percentile)

Moreover, only nine percent of NC State’s field goal attempts this season have been 2-point attempts from outside the lane, according to CBB Analytics. For the Pack, those shots are the province of really only one player: Darrion Williams, who attempts 2.9 2-pointers per 40 minutes from outside the paint (98th percentile). Matthew Able and Tre Holloman are the only other players on the roster averaging more than one 2-point attempt per 40 minutes from the range: 1.5 and 1.2, respectively.

[Shot chart via CBB Analytics]

In his return to the ACC this season, Copeland — the former Syracuse and McNeese State guard — has emerged as an invaluable piece. He leads the team in both usage rate (27.1 percent) and assist rate (40.9 percent). That expanded role has coincided with a significant jump in efficiency: after entering the season with a career true shooting percentage of 53.4, Copeland now ranks inside the national top 50 at 66.5 percent.

Whether attacking 1-on-1 in the open floor or operating out of the pick-and-roll, Copeland has shown real pop as a driver. He leads NC State with 4.7 unassisted 2-pointers per 40 minutes (95th percentile) and draws 3.3 shooting fouls on 2-point attempts per 40 minutes (97th percentile).

As a consistent source of rim pressure, Copeland has also continued to evolve as one of the nation’s top playmakers, ranking Top 10 nationally in assist rate. Given NC State’s shot distribution, it’s no surprise that the majority of his assists come from the two most valuable areas on the floor: at the rim and beyond the arc. Copeland has assisted on 5.7 made 3s per 40 minutes this season, and according to CBB Analytics, 88.3 percent of his assists have resulted in either rim finishes or 3-pointers.

This was a part of NC State’s plan heading into the season, but Copeland’s usage has also allowed other guards — such as Tre Holloman, Matthew Able, Alyn Breed and McNeil — to slide into more efficient off-ball roles. After posting a 22.7 percent usage rate last season at Michigan State while shooting just 32.9 percent from deep (45.2 eFG%), Holloman has fit nicely alongside Copeland. His usage has dropped to 19.2 percent, while his shooting efficiency has climbed dramatically to 43.5 percent from three (58.6 eFG%). With both players on the floor, NC State is +84 in 216 minutes, scoring 1.27 points per possession, per CBB Analytics.

McNeil’s shooting splits also shift dramatically when Copeland is on the floor. In 315 minutes alongside Copeland, McNeil is shooting 57.1 percent on 2-point attempts and 45.5 percent from 3. Those figures drop to 37.5 percent and 33.3 percent, respectively, in 139 minutes without him.

And the Wolfpack don’t wait to get downhill. NC State’s early offense is built on the same principles: speed, rim pressure and rapid paint-to-perimeter reads that stress defenses before they can get set. Let’s examine further how NC State has empowered Copeland to get into quick-hitting offense.

Early Offense: Pace and Pick-and-Roll

With Williams at the 4, NC State frequently has four players on the floor capable of grabbing and going — either pushing the ball themselves or delivering hit-ahead passes. The Wolfpack are opportunistic in transition and look to run with crisp spacing: two shooters in the corners, a rim runner and a trailing big, whether off makes or misses. It’s low-hanging fruit to grab, but that approach has paid off.

NC State is scoring 0.99 points per chance following a defensive rebound on a missed field goal attempt (88th percentile) and an elite 1.39 points per chance following a defensive rebound on a missed free throw (99th percentile). In those situations, the Wolfpack are shooting 70 percent on two-point attempts and 50 percent from three (12-of-24), per CBB Analytics.

Beyond grab-and-go opportunities and hit-ahead passes, NC State also pushes pace and flows into early offense through drag ball-screen actions. These are ball screens set in transition or secondary situations, typically with the trailing big sprinting into the action. The objective is simple: allow the point guard to turn the corner while the five rolls hard to the rim, forcing downhill pressure against a scrambling defense.

For example, against VCU, Lubin sprints into a step-up drag screen for Copeland near the midcourt logo with 24 seconds left on the shot clock, catching the Rams before they are fully set defensively.

As Copeland attacks off the drag screen, he uses a protective dribble shield off swipes at the ball and drive into the paint, drawing two defenders before finding Lubin on the roll. Lubin misses his first attempt but quickly elevates on the second jump, finishing over the defense for a put-back 2.

At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, Copeland has the size, stride length and speed to bulldoze through drag actions. He can use his strength to attack the rim, but his height also lets him scan the defense and deliver a variety of creative passes. In this sequence, Lubin is well-covered as he slips the drag screen; however, as Asheville center Myles Mayfield (5) turns his back to the ball, Copeland finds a small window, threading a beautiful pass that hits VAL in stride for a layup.

According to CBB Analytics, NC State’s offense scores 1.15 points per chance on opportunities completed in under 10 seconds, including 61.8 percent shooting on 2-point attempts. This includes drag actions like the one at Auburn with Williams in control. Copeland can also be an impactful off-ball cutter and connector, finding ways to bridge plays and finish alongside Williams in these uptempo scenarios.

Early Offense - Down Screens: Wide Series

Another staple of NC State’s offense is what’s commonly known across basketball as “Wide” action. This 5-out concept features a down screen in the middle third of the floor, near the top of the key, for a player cutting from the opposite wing or slot toward the ball. In this example, Musa Sagnia sets the down screen for Williams, who cuts right and receives a pass from Holloman.

After the initial down-screen action, the Pack can flow into a variety of looks. For example, Williams fakes a handoff back to Holloman, keeps the ball, and flows into a 4-5 screen-roll with Sagnia. UAB puts two defenders on the ball and fails to tag the rolling big, allowing Williams to find an open Sagnia and deliver a threaded pass for an easy layup.

On this possession against Virginia, Williams curls the down screen from Lubin and gets to the elbow for a jumper against UVA’s standard drop coverage.

One of the things Wade and Howard like to do out of the Wide series is have the off-ball guard reject the screen and flow into a 5-out set, with the 5 initiating from the middle of the floor. On this play against Texas Southern, the off-ball guard — Copeland — takes a few steps toward the Wide screen before cutting away toward the lane.

The 5 — Lubin in this case — pivots to face the ball and receives a pass from the 1. After Breed feeds VAL at the top of the key, he cuts down toward the left elbow, moving in Copeland’s direction. NC State is now set for the next progression of the play: “Zoom” action.

Zoom is a three-person action featuring a down screen for a player who will exit and sprint directly into a dribble handoff (DHO). In this case, Breed sets the pindown, and Copeland uses it to flow into a DHO with Lubin.

In this scenario, Copeland’s defender is forced to navigate multiple screens, putting him at a disadvantage. As Copeland curls off Lubin’s DHO, he creates space and draws the defensive 5 toward him. Lubin rolls hard to the rim with minimal weak-side resistance, and Copeland delivers a pass for an easy layup.

This is what I refer to as NC State’s Wide Gut Zoom action. “Wide” is the series, “Gut” refers to the location on the floor — taking place in the middle third — and “Zoom” is the down screen into DHO concept. Many around basketball, however, call it “Spanoulis,” in honor of Greek legend Vassilis Spanoulis, who popularized it in Europe. Regardless of the name, it’s highly effective.

In the November matchup with UNC Greensboro, the same Wide Gut Zoom concept is on display — this time with Sagnia as the 5-out hub in the middle. Copeland keeps the ball and attacks downhill for an easy layup.

Copeland isn’t the only player who gets to attack in these middle-third actions out of NC State’s Wide series, though. This has been good action for Able and Holloman this season, too.

On their home floor against Kansas, the Pack run Wide Gut Zoom for Able. The Jayhawks switch to bottle up Able’s drive, but the defense ends up a bit scrambled. Bill Self has frequently used center Flory Bidunga (40) to switch 1-5 this season, but it’s a tall task to check Copeland in space — even for a 6-foot-10 big with soccer-inspired footwork. With only Holloman spaced out on the right side, Copeland has a double gap to attack and an excellent spot-up shooter (Holloman: 43.5 3P% this season) to kick to if Jamari McDowell (11) helps off the strong-side corner.

It’s been fun digging through my archives, reviewing Nebraska film from the past few seasons and seeing how it aligns with NC State’s current offense. Unsurprisingly, there are some clear similarities. In fact, here’s Nebraska running the same action in the 2024-25 season, though it ends in a turnover against Indiana on an illegal screen by center Andrew Morgan (23).

Another variation of this play is what I call Wide Gut Razor. It starts similarly: the off-ball guard rejects the Wide screen and cuts toward the bottom of the lane, while the 5 wheels back to the middle of the floor to receive a pass from the primary initiator. This setup resembles the Zoom concept, but with one key difference: instead of the 1 setting a down screen for the 2, NC State flips it — the 2 sets a back screen for the 1.

As the 1 (Copeland) cuts down to the post off the back screen, the 2 (Holloman) sprints into a DHO with the 5. Holloman’s back screen for Copeland triggers a switch, causing the defense to pause briefly to communicate and ensure neither player breaks free. That split-second hesitation needed to navigate the switch is all Holloman needs; he drives toward Sagnia, receives the handoff and uses the advantage to attack downhill for a layup.

A few weeks later against UNC Asheville, NC State runs the same Wide Gut Razor action — this time for Able. The Bulldogs struggle to communicate the switch while one defender jams Holloman. Able abandons his screen and flows into the handoff with Lubin, turns the corner against the defensive 5 and attacks downhill for a layup.

(The back screen into a DHO is referred to by some as “Peja” action, named for former NBA player Peja Stojaković, who ran it frequently under Rick Adelman in Sacramento and Rick Carlisle in Dallas. I’ve come to call this action Razor, so that’s the name I’ll stick with.)

NC State’s Wide series has been one of the team’s most efficient play types this season. According to my charting data, it scores 1.17 points per chance, with the team shooting 65.2 percent on 2 and 38.9 percent on 3.

Powerball: Darrion Williams Playing Out Of The Post

One of the reasons I was so bullish on NC State’s offense heading into the season was the presence of Williams and Copeland: two veteran ball handlers with size, strength, and excellent passing vision. Both are built to be mismatch pieces at the college level, capable of scoring through contact at multiple levels of the floor and punishing smaller defenders switched onto them in inverted-screen actions. In theory, the Wolfpack’s offense has a sturdy floor with Williams and Copeland at the controls; if nothing else works, they can simply run pick-and-roll and create.

There is some natural usage overlap between the two, and at times it has been tricky to strike the ideal playmaking balance. Williams, in particular, is too good, and too central to the offense, to drift for long stretches as an off-ball floor spacer. The key is finding the right blend and using them in complementary ways, making sure that they interact and not just take turns initiating action.

According to CBB Analytics, Williams is more active on the ball in minutes without Copeland; his usage jumps from 23.8 percent to 27.2 percent, while his assist rate climbs from 18.2 percent to 24.7 percent. However, his efficiency slips: 46.3 percent true shooting (down from 62.3 percent in minutes with Copeland), 34.3 percent on 2-point attempts (down from 52.7 2P%) and 35.5 percent on 3-point attempts (down from 46.9 3P%). It’ll be interesting to see how those numbers stabilize over the course of the season, but these offer a few data points that highlight the importance of these two as a duo.

With Copeland and Williams steering things, the Pack have shown they can be both intricate and egalitarian offensively, while still allowing those two to drive usage. If anything, NC State could lean even further into bully-ball sets featuring Williams. With that in mind, let’s examine the possession types the Pack use to isolate him in the mid-post.

Pistol 4

During his two years at Texas Tech, Williams was a focal point in head coach Grant McCasland’s offense, frequently operating as a point-forward ball handler in “Pistol” action. I wrote about it last offseason for Pack Pride and referenced it ahead of NC State’s matchup with TTU in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, but those early-offense sets — featuring a guard setting a ball screen for Williams — are so effective because of the pressure they place on the defense.

If the defense switches a smaller guard onto him, Williams can initiate in “Barkley” fashion, chiseling downhill with his back to the basket. If the defense switches and sends a double team to prevent him from attacking a mismatch, he’s a very good passer who can kick out to an open shooter or cutter. And if opponents hedge and recover aggressively, Williams can move the ball quickly to create open 3-pointers or force 4-on-3 advantages.

A perfect example came on the game-winning basket against Arkansas in last year’s Sweet 16. Christian Anderson sets a screen for Williams on the right wing, forcing Karter Knox (11) to switch out and leaving 6-foot-10 shot blocker Trevon Brazile (23) on Anderson, who spaces to the top of the key and pulls Brazile away from the paint. Williams then uses his power and footwork to get downhill against Knox, spinning his way to an incredible finish.

I referred to this as Texas Tech’s “Pistol 4” action last season, and I’ve carried over the same terminology at NC State, where the Wolfpack run an identical set with Williams.

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The action begins with Williams in the slot, another guard — Holloman in this possession against UNC Greensboro — on the ball and the third guard, Copeland, stationed in the corner. Holloman dribbles toward Williams and flips him a handoff. As that happens, Copeland lifts from the corner to set an inverted ball screen for Williams, completing the Pistol action.

The Spartans elect not to switch, but Copeland’s defender doesn’t even attempt to show on the ball, which is a big problem. Williams turns the corner into space and gets north-south for a layup.

According to my charting data, NC State has scored 1.05 points per chance on Pistol sets this season, shooting 63.6 percent on 2-point attempts, including this possession against VCU. It’s the same action, but this time to the left side of the floor and with the ever-dangerous McNeil setting the screen. Williams attacks the switch and spins downhill for yet another layup.

Post Splits

NC State is undefeated (3-0) when Williams posts a usage rate of 30 percent or higher. In contrast, in three of the Pack’s five losses this season — Seton Hall, Texas and Virginia — Williams recorded a sub-19 percent usage rate. The only game this season in which Williams topped a 25 percent usage rate and NC State still lost was the overtime defeat to Kansas—a contest that was essentially a coin flip. It’s imperative that a healthy share of possessions flow through the senior forward, including deliberate post touches that allow the offense to play off his interior gravity. This is what I refer to as NC State’s Post Split action with Williams.

On this possession against Boston College, Able enters the ball to Williams on the block and then runs off a flare screen from Lubin, while Copeland drifts in from the opposite wing. From there, Williams is perfectly positioned to facilitate the offense: he operates from the post with shooters spaced around him and cutters moving off the ball.

It initially appears that Able and Lubin are set to form staggered screens for Copeland to curl toward Williams on the left side of the floor. Instead, Copeland and Able execute a split cut: Copeland darting to the rim as a potential cutter for Williams, while Able cuts back to the left wing off a “Wiper” re-screen from Lubin. After setting the re-screen, Lubin rolls to the rim.

Williams has multiple passing options available on this after-timeout set, but the double team never comes. Boston College elects to guard him 1-on-1, and Williams opts to keep the ball and power his way to the front of the rim for a layup.

Next trip down the floor, NC State runs the same action, but this time Copeland uses the staggered screens from Able and Lubin. The Eagles defend it well and stick with single coverage on Williams. Boston College forces a miss, but it’s still a solid attempt for Williams.

Here’s a similar look against Florida State. Terrance Arceneaux throws the entry pass and cuts off a screen from Lubin. Williams attacks quickly, and FSU sends a double team. He drives deeper into the paint, collapses the weak-side defense, and delivers a ridiculous skip pass while falling out of bounds to a wide-open Able for 3.

Screen-The-Screener Pick-and-Roll: Quadir Copeland

An important component of NC State’s half-court pick-and-roll offense is the use of screen-the-screener action. This occurs when an off-ball guard sets a down screen for the 5, who sprints up to set a run-out ball screen for the 1. There are many names for this type of pick-and-roll concept, including “Wedge” and “Bump”, but I use the lingo “Ram” to describe it.

Ram Leak

While much of NC State’s offense appears to be built on Howard’s designs, some of Wade’s signature sets and concepts have made the trip from McNeese State to Raleigh. One of the team’s most popular pick-and-roll sets is what I call “Ram Leak,” which arrived in North Carolina this summer via Louisiana.

Copeland had significant success running this set last season at McNeese State, and that success has carried over to his time with the Wolfpack.

Matched up with Texas in Maui, McNeil sets a down screen for Lubin, who sprints up to set a ball screen for Copeland.

As Copeland drives into a double gap against Texas in drop coverage — with McNeil intentionally spaced in the strong-side corner — Williams leaks back up the floor while Lubin rolls, creating roll-replace action and drawing a potential help defender away from the lane.

Copeland excels at timing his strides while absorbing contact. As he comes blazing off the ball screen into space, with Jordan Pope (0) in the gap but reluctant to help off McNeil in the corner, Copeland drives straight at Texas center Matas Vokietaitis (8) and finishes over him.

In the second half against Ole Miss, it’s the same combination for “Ram Leak.” McNeil sets a screen for Lubin and spaces out to the strong-side corner. Lubin then sets a ball screen for Copeland and rolls to the rim. As Lubin dives, Williams leaks up to the left slot. Mississippi tries to switch every part of the action, but Lubin rolls hard, establishes good position and Copeland delivers a precise pass for a layup.

And finally, here’s the same action against Wake Forest, this time with Holloman and Sagnia replacing McNeil and Lubin. As usual, Wake Forest puts two on the ball, with Tre’Von Spillers (25) hedging out on Copeland. That forces wing Jaylen Cross (23) to sag into the paint briefly to tag Sagnia as Williams leaks up the floor. The rotation leaves Williams momentarily open on the wing and Copeland delivers a pass that Williams converts for a catch-and-shoot three.

Ram Exit

This isn’t the only type of Ram action NC State runs. The team also runs “Ram Exit,” a screen-the-screener pick-and-roll set that shifts the pieces around the floor while leveraging the off-ball gravity of McNeil and Holloman.

In this play, the 4 (Williams) sets a ball screen for the 1 (Copeland), while the 5 (Lubin) spaces out to the right corner. The 2 (Holloman) sets a down screen for Williams, who then runs out for the ball screen with Copeland, creating the Ram action.

Instead of rolling, Williams pops out to the left wing. After screening for Williams, Holloman cuts to the right corner off an “Exit” (or “Smack”) screen from Lubin. This baseline Exit screen is a key way to use a non-shooter — like Lubin — to create spacing. Copeland can look to kick out to Holloman coming off the screen for a corner 3, or the action can serve as a dummy concept to occupy the defense and tie up back-line help, pulling the 5 away from the rim and opening a driving lane.

After a timeout, NC State runs Ram Exit down three with less than a minute remaining against Kansas. The Jayhawks are scrambled defensively trying to navigate the action. Copeland drives into the lane, leaving Williams open on the wing for a kick-out 3 that ties the game.

In overtime, NC State returns to the same set with the same players. Kansas defends it more effectively this time, but Bidunga ends up on Holloman, who pulls Self’s top shot-blocker away from the hoop. That creates just enough space for Copeland to finish inside.

NC State runs the same set against Ole Miss. Holloman’s cut to the corner off the Exit screen pulls the defensive 5 away from the hoop, and Copeland once again takes full advantage.

Similar to Duke and Jon Scheyer, NC State’s play-callers do a good job sequencing actions. This means NC State will run the same set—or actions that look similar—multiple times, taking advantage of defenders who begin to anticipate rotations or overcorrect based on the initial action. It’s a good way to build a rhythm and get to certain counters.

Later in the first half, with McNeil as the screener, NC State returned to the same look. This time, Copeland rejects the screen, and after the defense had stuck with Holloman on the earlier Ram Exit set, they collapse on him. With the defense in rotation, Copeland then skips the ball to McNeil in the corner for a 3, running off Sagnia’s screen.

This same Ram Exit set is identical to one of the plays Kevin Keatts ran at times for McNeil last season and DJ Horne the year prior.

5-Out Zoom: Delay and Angle

In my view, NC State most closely resembles Nebraska’s offense when it comes to 5-out initiation — with the center positioned in the middle of the floor, flanked by shooters, cutters and potential handoff partners. Lubin has thrived as the middle hub in these sets. He’s not the type to dissect a defense with passes from the elbow or high post, but he’s comfortable handling the ball, extremely mobile for a 5 and a tireless worker when rolling to the rim or crashing the glass. He can be a playmaker for NC State’s offense.

In terms of more traditional center metrics, Lubin still checks plenty of important boxes. He’s shooting 80 percent on cut attempts this season and 73.3 percent on 2-point attempts in the half-court. He also leads NC State with 25 dunks. That’s 15 more than the next closest player, Copeland, who has 10.

When NC State enters the ball to Lubin or Sagnia atop the key in 5-out “Delay” action, the first thing to watch is what the wing players do. They can either set a down screen for the corner player, who then cuts into a DHO with the 5 to create Zoom action, or they’ll cut through the lane at a 45-degree angle, opening up a gap on that side and clearing space for a two-man action.

Here, against Texas Southern, NC State runs Zoom action: Copeland sets a screen for McNeil, who receives the DHO.

As Lubin rolls toward the restricted area, Copeland drifts back up the floor. McNeil draws two defenders to the ball, and Lubin attracts weak-side help, leaving Copeland open. McNeil and Copeland then snap into an impromptu give-and-go, with McNeil kicking out and relocating for a spot-up 3 in the left slot.

This is pretty standard 5-out basketball, but it’s a great way to open the floor up for drives, basket cuts and rim runs. NC State can do a lot of different creative stuff out of 5-out, but this is the foundation: space the floor and let the players make reads and get into flow.

Down in Tallahassee, NC State flows into more 5-out Zoom action with Lubin and McNeil. Once again, McNeil draws two defenders to the ball and finds Lubin on the roll for an easy finish.

Here’s 5-out Zoom action from last season’s Cornhuskers, with Connor Essegian (0) — Nebraska’s closest facsimile to McNeil last season — coming off the DHO and finding Morgan on the roll for a layup.

NC State can flow into 5-out Zoom from a variety of looks, too, including a rejected Wide down screen. Holloman rejects Lubin’s down screen, Copeland passes to Lubin atop the key and then screens down for Williams — creating the Zoom action and forcing a switch for Williams to attack.

On this possession against Kansas, it’s more of the 5-out setup around Lubin. However, Breed doesn’t set the down screen for the Zoom action; instead, he slices through the lane on a 45 Cut, which clears the area for a two-man game between Williams and Lubin.