Home/College Basketball
Home/College Basketball
feature-image
feature-image

Florida isn’t looking like the National Champions anymore. After their opening day loss to No.4 Arizona, they suffered a shocking defeat to the unranked TCU. They have bounced back since then with a win over Providence. But their next match-up presents a challenge at another level. Florida will be in Durham to square off against the undefeated Duke basketball team.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

They are now 8-0, after their 80-71 victory over the No. 22 Arkansas Razorbacks in the CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic in Chicago’s United Center. This match will be a part of the annual ACC/SEC Challenge, in which Duke was one of the two  ACC winners last year.

Let’s look at a preview of this marquee clash, including how to watch, predicted line-ups, injury reports, and more. 

ADVERTISEMENT

How To Watch Duke vs Florida?

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025

Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, N.C.​

ADVERTISEMENT

Tip time: 7:30 p.m. ET​

TV: ESPN

ADVERTISEMENT

Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports

Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports

Streaming: Watch ESPN/ESPN app with cable or streaming login.​

Duke vs Florida: Injury Report

ADVERTISEMENT

Florida Injuries

PlayerPositionStatus
Alex CondonF-CQuestionable – Face

Duke Injuries

PlayerPositionStatus
Sebastian WilkinsG-FOut – Redshirt

ADVERTISEMENT

Duke vs Florida: Projected Starting Lineups

Duke 

Cameron Boozer

ADVERTISEMENT

Patrick Ngongba II

Dame Sarr

Isaiah Evans

ADVERTISEMENT

Caleb Foster

Florida 

Thomas Haugh

ADVERTISEMENT

Rueben Chinyelu

Micah Handlogten

Boogie Fland

Top Stories

Fact Check: Were Greg Biffle & Family On the Plane That Crashed At Statesville, North Carolina?

“Rest in Peace”: Prayers Pour In From Dan Marino as Dolphins Legend Mourns Tragedy in South Florida Football

Carlos Alcaraz’s Split With Coach Resulted From ‘Major Disagreements’ With His Father

Who Is Greg Biffle’s Wife? Everything You Need to Know About Cristina Grossu

Footage Surfaces of Florida Police Arresting NASCAR Veteran Over Disturbing Public Misbehavior

Tony Pauline’s 2-Round 2026 Mock Draft: Browns Secure Franchise QB, Commanders Beat Chiefs to Jeremiyah Love

Xaivian Lee

Duke vs Florida: Preview And Prediction

Despite bringing back a lot of their National Championship squad, the Florida side hasn’t clicked yet. Their backcourt with Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee has yet to perform at their best. On the other hand, Duke looks infallible so far.

Cameron Boozer looks like a future top draft pick. The team has been gelling well, with Patrick Ngongba and Isaiah Evans providing ample support to Boozer. Let’s look at how the two teams statistically fare against each other so far. 

Metric (Per Game)Florida (ranking)Duke
Points69th(85.9)20th(91.9)
Point difference86th(13.3)2nd(33.1)
Assists95th(16.3)16th(19.9)
Steals307th(5.6)155th(7.5)
Blocks44th(4.9)84th(4.3)
Rebounds1st(45.1)16th(40.3)
Turnovers309th (14.6)50th (10.3)

Florida’s size will trouble Duke. Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Ruben Chinyelu make for a dangerous front court. Even though Condon is listed as questionable, his injury isn’t that serious. He is trending towards a return against Duke. Add the 7-footer Micah Handlogten from the bench to that combination.

While Duke isn’t undersized by any means, Florida possesses a slight advantage in this regard, being the best team in the country at crashing the boards. This will arguably be Cameron Boozer’s biggest test yet. 

So far, he is comfortably the best player in the country. He is coming off a 35-point on 18 shots performance in a comeback top-25 win against Arkansas. His work is mainly in and around the paint with his physicality and IQ. It will be tested against the tall rim protectors of Florida. So far, he is shooting 38.7% from the 3-point line, and this could be the game where he steps up in that area. 

Or, Florida could target Boozer’s support group. Ngongba and Evans are averaging around 12 points a game, and Caleb Foster has been inconsistent. For a No.10 defense, according to KenPom, they are manageable marks. If Florida has to make this competitive, Fland and Lee need to step up. 

Their creativity has been lacking, with only 16.4 assists per game, which is 91st in the country. On the other hand, Jon Scheyer has successfully implemented a dual point guard system in which both Cayden Boozer and Foster play together. While that system is still a work in progress, it gives Duke more variety and tools to work with. 

ESPN gives Duke the upper hand going into the game. According to ESPN Analytics, Duke has an 85.7% chance to win this matchup. They are the nation’s 5th-best offense (124.6 offensive rating) and 4th-best defense (92.6 defensive rating). With Duke undefeated, playing at home, and owning a 14–4 all‑time edge in the series, the matchup leans toward the Blue Devils in a competitive but controlled win. 

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT