3 Duke Basketball Players To Watch in Exhibition Against Tennessee

The Duke Blue Devils will play their first exhibition game ahead of the 2026-27 college basketball season on Tuesday night.

Duke will host Tennessee at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday at 7:00 pm ET, marking the second straight year the two clubs have faced off in an exhibition. Last season, the Blue Devils defeated the Vols 83-76 in Knoxville.

The Blue Devils looked like potentially the best team in the country in a 102-62 scrimmage victory over Belmont on Oct. 8. Now they'll get an early test against the No. 8 team in the AP Preseason Top 25 (Duke came in at No. 2).

Here are three Blue Devils to watch in Duke's first exhibition of the preseason.

Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje

In his first collegiate action at 17 years old, freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje was arguably the best player on the floor for Jon Scheyer in Duke's scrimmage win over Belmont. The 7'1" product tied the game-high in points with 19, along with seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocks on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor and 2-of-5 shooting from three-point range.

Boumtje Boumtje is seemingly already regarded as one of the best players in the ACC. He was named the Preseason ACC Rookie of the Year, was named to Preseason All-ACC Second Team, and even earned a vote for Preseason ACC Player of the Year.

What stood out most right away against the Bruins was how comfortable Boumtje Boumtje looked. He started the outing and made an immediate impact in different ways. It will be interesting to follow how comfortable the rookie looks against a preseason top-10 squad.

Rick Barnes built a team that can be one of the more prolific scoring units in the country, but it also boasts size at different positions on the floor. Belmont was a good first test, but Tennessee is at a different level. A strong outing against the Vols could show that Boumtje Boumtje can turn into one of Duke's top offensive options earlier than some anticipated.

Deron Rippey Jr.

5-star freshman Deron Rippey Jr.'s performance seemed to fly under the radar against Belmont, but he was highly impactful on both ends of the floor. Rippey notched 11 points, two assists, and a steal in 22 minutes.

Tennessee is built to win with high-level offense, and it will likely be a team that wants to push the pace. Rippey's defensive intensity and effort were crystal clear when he came on the floor against Belmont, and he will have to deal with some big-time scoring guards on defense, such as Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris and VCU transfer Terrence Hill Jr.

Rippey will be a stellar spark of energy off the bench for the Blue Devils this season, but I'm curious to see his defensive impact against a few high-level scoring guards.

Sebastian Wilkins

Controlling the pace will probably be a big part of this game, since Duke showed against Belmont that it is extremely difficult to find a half-court offensive rhythm after the Blue Devils are set defensively. Wilkins is an interesting player to monitor this season in terms of what his role actually looks like.

Against the Bruins, Wilkins went for eight points, six boards, and two steals in 22 minutes. At 6'8", he's a versatile and switchable defender, but he showed against Belmont that he will do all the little things it takes to win games. The redshirt freshman has big-time shooting potential, and if Duke needs a scoring spark off the bench against the Vols, Wilkins can deliver.

Wilkins' clearest role in the rotation this year is as a 3-and-D wing off the bench. Against a presumed quick-scoring and up-tempo team like Tennessee, he can put his two-way value on display.