Although freshman Deron Rippey Jr. has at times been absolutely electrifying while senior Caleb Foster has begun to find his rhythm off the bench, there's no indication that Duke basketball sophomore guard Cayden Boozer is in danger of losing his role as the starting floor general for the No. 2-ranked Blue Devils (2-0, 0-0 ACC). After all, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Miami native is facilitating buckets at a top-shelf rate and with impressive efficiency.

And by dishing out 12 assists in Duke's 113-52 home win over the unranked Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (0-2, 0-0 Sun Belt) in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Thursday night, Boozer became the first Blue Devil since Tre Jones on Dec. 3, 2019, to total at least a dozen dimes in a single game.

Plus, in doing so, the 19-year-old advanced tactician exceeded the challenge that Blue Devil player development specialist Jayce McCain presented him with ahead of the blowout victory.

"Jayce McCain challenged me today to get 10 assists," Boozer informed Duke Blue Devils On SI in the locker room afterward. "So, I had to get it done."

Boozer finished the contest with only one turnover across his 22 minutes on the court. Moreover, he added 11 points and three steals to his stat line, shooting 5-for-6 from the field and 1-for-1 at the charity stripe.

Combining his two box scores in regular season action, he now has 15 assists to only one turnover for the 2026-27 Blue Devils. He's averaging 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 2.0 assists in 21.0 minutes per game, shooting 61.5 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from three, and 60.0 percent at the foul line.

Big Duke Basketball Gains in the Distribution Department

As a team against Coastal Carolina, 25 of Duke's 38 made field goals came off assists. In the Blue Devils' 84-50 season opener home win over the Army Black Knights, a relatively lackluster performance in comparison to Thursday night's utterly dominant display, the squad totaled only 13 dimes and ended up with only 29 made field goals.

"The biggest thing was just playing with a better tempo," Boozer explained to Duke Blue Devils On SI about the difference in the Blue Devils' second outing of the season. "I think we were playing too slow on Monday, so that's something we talked about as a team."

Fifth-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer sure sounded pleased with the improved effort.

"I thought we really responded from the Army game," Scheyer noted in the opening statement to his postgame press conference on Thursday night. "I thought we took some steps forward...I really liked the 25 assists on 38 made shots. Cayden's passing was incredible, the job he did of when to score and then when to pass. He had some great plays there. I just thought he controlled the game."

The next test figures to be more challenging, though, as the Blue Devils are preparing for a trip to Chicago to battle the No. 6 Michigan State Spartans (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten) in the United Center. Duke and Michigan State square off at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday (ESPN), part of the annual Champions Classic.