On Friday, November 26, Duke, the number five-seed, defeated the number one-seed, Gonzaga. Two NBA prospects, Paolo Banchero, Duke forward, and Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga center, went head to head in a battle at the T-Mobile Arena. Both teams entered the game undefeated, but ultimately the Blue Devils left the arena with a 6-0 record. 

Holmgren, a 7-foot prodigy from Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been an absolute threat on the court. This 19-year old was the highest-ranked player to ever sign with the Zags, and they for sure don’t regret their decision. Although he was defeated, Holmgren scored 16 points and had seven assists in his game against the Blue Devils. 

Senior Julie Jenkins said, “Chet definitely made the right choice signing with this team. They could easily pull off another Final Four Championship win, especially with him playing.”

Paolo Banchero, a five-star recruit, holds arguably the most versatile player in college basketball. Banchero took over in the first half of the game scoring 20 points with 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Although Banchero got taken out within the first 6 minutes of the second half, he still showed why he is the potential Number 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. 

Mark Williams, the 7-foot sophomore, had an unbelievable performance on both ends of the court, with many clutch plays, including 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 blocks. In the post-game interview, Williams said to the interviewer, “I give credit to my teammates, especially today. They found me in a lot of the right places.”

In this game, Holmgren also was taken out at about the 10-minute mark in the first half after he reached his second foul. Despite these inconveniences, both teams had no trouble competing. Duke’s Julian Strawther and Gonzaga’s Wendell Moore both came in scoring 20 points.

This game was certainly a statement game for the Blue Devils. Duke came into the game as the underdogs and handed the Zags their first loss of the season. As of Monday, November 29, Duke rises to the number 1 seed in the release of this week’s power rankings. 

Can they keep their winning streak up?