Duke beats Tennessee 103-64 in exhibition as Barnes faults Vols’ effort

Duke beat Tennessee 103-64 in a preseason basketball exhibition at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, on Tuesday, October 20. The Blue Devils’ commanding win showed how far apart the teams were on the night, while Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said his side needed more fight and better rebounding.

How Duke took control against Tennessee

The Fayetteville Observer reported that Duke led 54-30 at halftime and outscored Tennessee 49-34 after the break. The Blue Devils held a 28-7 advantage in transition scoring and a 46-16 edge in points in the paint, two measures of how consistently they found chances close to the basket and on the run.

Dame Sarr scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting for Duke, his second consecutive double-digit exhibition outing, the Observer reported. Sebastian Wilkins added 11 points, while Cayden Boozer led the Blue Devils with six assists.

What Rick Barnes said about Tennessee’s loss

Barnes said he was disappointed and had apologized to Duke coach Jon Scheyer for not providing a better challenge, according to Rocky Top Insider’s account of his postgame media remarks. He said Tennessee, with many young players, was still trying to find a group that would compete together.

The first thing his team needed, Barnes said, was a ‘real competitive, fighting spirit.’ He pointed to rebounding and said Tennessee needed much more from Juke Harris, Jalen Haralson and Miles Rubin in that area. He also cited poor shot selection, stagnant ball movement and defensive breakdowns, including players getting beaten off the dribble, while saying those problems were fixable.

Scheyer, speaking after the game, said he was proud of Duke’s effort but cautioned against treating the exhibition like a regular-season win. ‘Wish that counted as a game, but it doesn’t,’ he said, according to the Observer, adding that Duke needed to keep improving.

Duke was scheduled to finish its preseason with an exhibition at Kansas on Sunday, October 25, before opening the 2026-27 regular season against Army at Cameron Indoor Stadium on November 2, the Observer reported. The Tennessee result gave both coaches a preseason measure of their teams, with Scheyer emphasizing continued work and Barnes identifying specific problems to address.