Coastal Carolina at Duke Preview: Chanticleers Face Early-Season Test Against No. 2 Duke

Coastal Carolina will look to get back on track Thursday night when it travels to Durham to take on No. 2 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Chanticleers (0-1) are coming off a narrow 71-70 loss to Eastern Michigan in the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge, while the Blue Devils (1-0) opened their season with a dominant 84-50 victory over Army. Coastal will have its hands full against one of the top teams in the country, but Thursday’s matchup provides an early test for the Chanticleers.

This matchup marks only the second meeting ever between these two teams. The only other meeting was in 2009, which saw Duke defeat Coastal Carolina 74-49 in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Coastal Carolina Looks to Bounce Back

The Chanticleers did not get the start they were hoping for, falling to Eastern Michigan 71-70. Coastal led for large stretches of the game but was never able to pull away, as a 34-point performance from Mohammed Habhab was enough for the Eagles to escape with the victory.

Final – Coastal 70, Eastern Michigan 71

— Coastal Men's Basketball (@CoastalMBB) November 3, 2026

Miami (Ohio) transfer point guard Trey Perry led Coastal with 20 points. The 6-foot-2 sophomore also contributed a team-high three assists and took a game-high 19 shots. Despite a crucial late turnover, head coach Justin Gray appears to trust Perry with the ball in his hands late in games, and the Chants will likely rely heavily on the sophomore if they want to pull off the upset.

Perry’s backcourt partner, Wake Forest transfer Jaylen Cross, also had a strong night for the Chants. The 6-foot-4 sophomore finished with 10 points and eight rebounds in his first significant collegiate action. Last season with the Demon Deacons, Cross played three minutes at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Duke and scored three points. He will bring some experience back to one of college basketball’s best atmospheres.

Coastal’s starting five was rounded out by returning sophomore Tristan Thompson, freshman Jordan Buzzard and Elon transfer Caleb Middleton. The three combined for 11 points and 13 rebounds and could potentially start together again. Gray rolled out several different lineups in the season opener, but the starting five was his most-used combination, playing 4:47 together.

Five players saw minutes off the bench, led by Darius Washington III. The Kennesaw State transfer finished with 13 points but needed 14 shots to get there. He will need to be more efficient for the Chants to win games throughout the season. Fellow guard DaJohn Craig also added nine points.

The frontcourt could present a major challenge for the Chanticleers against the Blue Devils. All five frontcourt players — Buzzard, Middleton, Derrick Green, Drew Fuquay and Ashton Hardaway — played fewer than 18 minutes, and none scored more than six points. However, defense could be an even bigger concern after allowing Habhab to score 34 points. Coastal will now face one of the best frontcourts in the country.

Duke Coming Off 34-Point Victory

Duke enters the 2026-27 season ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll, receiving 10 first-place votes. The Blue Devils are also ranked No. 2 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, while KenPom ranks Duke No. 1 overall, with the third-ranked offense and second-ranked defense.

The Blue Devils backed up their ranking in their season opener, defeating Army at home 84-50. Army kept the game within 20 points for much of the contest, but Duke eventually pulled away for the 34-point victory.

Six-foot-11 forward Patrick Ngongba and 7-foot-2 freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje anchor the dominant Blue Devil frontcourt. Ngongba finished with 10 points and seven rebounds against Army, while Boumtje Boumtje recorded 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Both big men are expected to be NBA Draft picks over the next two seasons.

Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje Season Debut vs Army..

15 PTS (4-8 FG, 1-4 3PT, 6-6 FTs)
7 REBS
3 BLKS

He’s a Freshman that has to play an extra year correct?.. Is he NBA ready? pic.twitter.com/ygask9Paoh

— Frankie Vision (@Frankie_Vision) November 3, 2026

Dame Sarr led a balanced Duke offense in the season opener, scoring 16 points without missing a shot. Sarr also added four rebounds and three assists. Fellow returners Cayden Boozer and Caleb Foster combined for 13 points in the backcourt.

Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell was one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal this offseason. At Wisconsin last season, he averaged 19.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-5 guard scored just three points in the season opener but could have his coming-out party in a Duke uniform soon.

Duke also has some of the most impressive depth in the country, with six additional players coming off the bench. Highly touted freshmen Deron Rippey Jr., Cameron Williams and Bryson Howard all saw double-digit minutes. Returning player Sebastian Wilkins also played significant minutes off the bench.

The Blue Devils also found plenty of ways to gain possessions against Army, forcing 24 turnovers and outrebounding the Black Knights by nine despite making just four 3-pointers. If the Chants want a chance at the upset, they will need to take care of the ball, limit Duke’s second-chance opportunities and find a way to slow down the Blue Devils’ frontcourt.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Duke Blue Devils

Cameron Indoor Stadium — Durham, N.C.

Tipoff: Thursday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m. EST

TV: ACCN

Radio: Chanticleer Sports Network WRXZ 107.1 / WDNC-AM 620 and 96.5 FM (Duke)