When Duke plays teams like Western Carolina in basketball, it's really just an opportunity for a lot of players to see the floor.
Not only that, but it also allows Duke to go through its sets and try to figure things out on the offensive and defensive sides of the basketball.
It was an impressive win from Duke, and while I understand that Western Carolina isn't a great program by any means, there were still some impressive showings for multiple players on the Blue Devils, including Cameron Boozer, who finished with a game-high 25 points.
He also led the team in rebounds and assists, finishing with 25 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. His brother, Cayden Boozer, was just as good, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds.
When speaking to reporters after the game, head coach Jon Scheyer was pleased with how his team looked.
It seems like he understands that Western Carolina isn’t a great team, but he also viewed this game as an opportunity to show off Duke's depth.
"I thought tonight our depth really showed ... I thought collectively, we just did a really good job. Our defense only gave up six points in the first 11 minutes," Scheyer said, per the Duke Chronicle. "But overall, we're growing. We're building. I'm proud of this team, and we got to continue to embrace where we are, understand what we have to do better. A lot of it's really simple things to be honest, and then [we'll] get back to work."
Of course, winning a national championship will come down to players like Boozer, Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr, Isaiah Evans, and others, but it's also important for Duke to have some flexibility and depth during the regular season.
Avoiding injuries will be a priority for Duke, and if it can go 10-plus deep on any given night, it should help on that front.
It'll be interesting to see how Duke plays when it starts to face some tougher competition.
The next big game Duke will play is against Kansas on Nov. 18.
Outside of that, it has a relatively easy schedule over the next two games against Army and Indiana State.