Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, a 17-year-old freshman, led Duke with 19 points in a 102-62 exhibition win over Belmont on Thursday night. He did it on seven-of-eleven shooting, giving Duke an immediate scoring lift in the first exhibition of the new season.
Jon Scheyer on Boumtje-Boumtje
Jon Scheyer said, "To be 17 years old and (not to be) afraid of this moment in his first game says a lot about who he is and what he's made of," after the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Boumtje-Boumtje is listed at 7-foot-2, and his first outing put him at the center of Duke's opening-night attention rather than on the edge of it.
John Blackwell at Cameron Indoor Stadium
John Blackwell scored 17 points for Duke and said, "The energy was amazing," after playing his first game in Cameron Indoor Stadium. He added, "It wasn't even packed out today, so I'm very excited to play in front of the fans going forward."
Evan Bradds Returns to Duke
Belmont head coach Evan Bradds returned to Cameron Indoor Stadium after leaving Duke for Belmont six months earlier. Bradds, who was a Duke assistant coach last season, said, "It is a little weird," and added, "When we landed yesterday, everyone was like, ' What's it feel like to be back?' Well, I just left six months ago."
Duke's exhibition games do not count on paper, but the performances from Boumtje-Boumtje and Blackwell gave the first exhibition of the new season a sharper edge. Duke's next exhibition game on Oct. 20 against Tennessee at Cameron Indoor Stadium will offer the next chance to see whether that early scoring carries forward.
