Michigan Vs Duke: Cameron Boozer, No. 3 Duke knock off No. 1 Michigan

The michigan vs duke matchup at the Edward Jones Capital Showcase at Capital One Arena — scheduled to tip at 6: 30 p. m. on with Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Kris Budden on the call — ended with Cameron Boozer and No. 3 Duke knocking off top-ranked Michigan, the teams' marquee nonconference meeting in Washington, D. C.

How the game finished

Cameron Boozer and No. 3 Duke prevailed over No. 1 Michigan, handing the Wolverines a loss in the high-profile Capital Showcase. Tipoff had been set for 6: 30 p. m. on, and both teams were to be featured on 's College GameDay ahead of the matchup.

Michigan Vs Duke: broadcast, setting and history

The game was staged at Capital One Arena in Washington, D. C., branded as the Edward Jones Capital Showcase presented by Bad Boy Mowers. Michigan returned to Washington, D. C., for the first time since 2021, when the Wolverines defeated Prairie View A&M 77-49 in the Coaches vs. Racism matchup. Michigan's last downtown D. C. game before that came during the 2017 Big Ten Tournament title run at the Verizon Center (now Capital One Arena), when the No. 8 seed won four games in four days after the team plane slid off the runway en route to the nation's capital.

Where the programs stood going in

Michigan entered the matchup at 25-1; Duke entered at 24-3. Michigan's season numbers were among the program's most dominant: 21 wins by 10 or more points, 13 by 20+, 10 by 30+, seven by 40+ (a Big Ten record) and one by 50+. After a 14-0 start was snapped, Michigan had won 11 straight, including six road victories and three top-10 wins — No. 5 Nebraska (75-72), at No. 7 Michigan State (83-71) and at No. 7 Purdue (91-80).

Michigan roster highlights and recent form

Michigan's so-called "Big Three" — Yaxel Lendeborg (14. 4 ppg, 7. 5 rpg), Morez Johnson Jr. (13. 5 ppg, 7. 3 rpg) and Aday Mara (11. 2 ppg, 7. 1 rpg) — accounted for over 45 percent of the team's scoring and more than 55 percent of its rebounding. Mara had 71 blocks (2. 73 bpg), recorded at least one in every game, and ranked third nationally with 22 multi-block games, including a career-high six vs. Penn State. Over his last four games, Mara added playmaking with 16 assists (4. 0 apg), including a career-best seven at Northwestern.

Guard L. J. Cason had four double-figure games in his last five after six in his first 20 contests, highlighted by a career-best 18 at Northwestern while shooting 58. 8 percent from the field and 9-for-27 from three over that span. Sixth man Trey McKenney provided scoring depth with 18 double-figure games, a team-best 90. 5 percent at the free-throw line (15 consecutive), and 43 three-pointers.

Series notes and College GameDay appearance

Michigan met Duke for the first time since Dec. 3, 2013 — a span of 4, 463 days. The Wolverines' last win over Duke came on Dec. 6, 2008 — 6, 283 days earlier. Michigan (2-2) made its fifth College GameDay appearance, having hosted twice (2012, 2015) and appeared twice on the road (2013, 2014); this meeting marked Michigan's first College GameDay appearance at a neutral site.

The matchup combined a high-profile broadcast package — Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Kris Budden on the call — with national buildup on College GameDay and a long-standing interprogram gap that the meeting bridged for the first time in more than a decade.

Both teams were featured on 's College GameDay ahead of the matchup, and the contest had been set to tip at 6: 30 p. m. on.