Duke’s road win at Louisville on last night was defined by contrast — not just between halves, but within the Blue Devils’ offensive identity itself. For more than 16 minutes of game time, Duke’s scoring came from only two sources, and it underscored just how uneven the opening half truly was.

It took until the 3:58 mark before halftime for someone not named Cam Boozer or Isaiah Evans to make a field goal. Caleb Foster finally broke the drought with a tough, off-two-feet floater in the lane, snapping an 0-for-10 start by the rest of the roster. 

That offensive imbalance paired with familiar defensive issues. Much like the recent Georgia Tech and Florida State games, Duke struggled to contain dribble penetration and close out shooters in the first half. Louisville played comfortably and found rhythm all without lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr. in the lineup. 

Everything changed after halftime.

Duke emerged with noticeably sharper defensive intensity, stringing together stops and forcing Louisville into tougher possessions. The Blue Devils’ rotations were cleaner, the ball pressure improved, and the Cardinals’ early confidence faded. With the defense finally setting the tone, Duke’s offense began to breathe.

Caleb Foster's confidence carried over into the second half, and he finished with 20 points in his most assertive performance of the season. He attacked decisively, hit timely shots, and looked far more settled — an encouraging sign as he continues to search for consistency.

In order for Duke to make the kind of run they believe they can make in March, they need to have Caleb Foster step up and play that way. It can't all be Cam Boozer and Isaiah Evans.

Despite Duke's 14-1 record, when you look into the details of many of these games, the Blue Devils still aren't quite where many thought they would be at this point. Isaiah Evans still hasn't reached a level of consistency with his shot that he would like and Duke's defense has left much to be desired in way too many of these games.

Regardless, Duke beats one of the other top ACC teams in Louisville and will now prepare to host a sneaky and fast SMU team that just beat Carolina and features one of the best guards in the ACC in Boopie Miller.