One-time Duke backcourt mates Jon Scheyer and Greg Paulus are front and center Friday night on opposite benches as the Blue Devils host Niagara in the first-ever meeting between the programs.
The game is part of Duke’s Brotherhood Run, which pits the Blue Devils against teams coached by former players from the program.
Also participating in the weekend round robin is Howard, coached by Duke alum Kenny Blakeney. His team faces Niagara on Saturday and No. 5 Duke on Sunday.
Friday’s matchup features the Blue Devils (5-0), guided by fourth-year coach Scheyer, versus the Purple Eagles (2-2), led by Paulus, who is in his seventh season at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference school.
Duke delivered in a 78-66 win over No. 24 Kansas on Tuesday night, passing its first test this season against a ranked team in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden.
Freshman Cameron Boozer delivered 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, all team highs, as the Blue Devils remained in control during the second half with a lead that toggled between three and 12 points.
“I thought he controlled the whole game and made such key plays in key moments,” Scheyer said. “I think he’d be the first to say there’s so much more that’s there for him.”
After Melvin Council Jr. of Kansas hit a 3-pointer to reduce the deficit to 67-64 with 5 minutes left, Council followed with a block of Boozer. But the Duke freshman recovered the loose ball and threw down a slam dunk to trigger a nine-point run which wrapped up the win.
Isaiah Evans added a 3-pointer during the decisive run and finished with 16 points.
The Blue Devils committed just two turnovers in the second half and didn’t allow a field goal after Council’s 3. It was a positive step for a team that uses four freshmen and three sophomores in its nine-man rotation.
“We showed some great response, some great character,” Scheyer said. “Hope it gets prettier as they go. But really, I don’t care as long as we find a way to win and do the things we talked about.”
Gunning for its third straight win Monday at LeMoyne, Niagara had a lead early in the second half but the Purple Eagles failed to score a field goal in a span to 5:58 late in the second half.
Niagara is led by Justin Page, who is averaging 13.8 points per game. Radford transfer Trenton Walters adds 10.3 ppg, while Reggie Prudhomme provides 9.3 ppg and a team-high 5.3 rebounds per game despite his modest stature at 6-foot.
Scheyer and Paulus were fixtures in the backcourt for Duke for three years, starting in 2006-07 when Scheyer was a freshman and Paulus a sophomore. In their final season together, they helped the Blue Devils win the 2009 ACC tournament, with Scheyer capturing the event’s MVP award.
“This experience for our university, program and team will be special,” Paulus said when the matchup was announced in June. “Duke is home and the experience and people shaped me as a person, leader and competitor.”
Duke established Brotherhood Run in 2024 with an exhibition game against Arizona State and coach Bobby Hurley. Last month in another preseason matchup, the Blue Devils hosted Central Florida and coach Johnny Dawkins.
–Field Level Media
