With just over 11 minutes left in Duke's exhibition versus Shaw, forward Kyle Singler received a behind-the-back pass from fellow freshman Nolan Smith and finished the play with a thunderous dunk.
Less than 15 seconds later, off a Shaw turnover, Smith found Singler on another no-look pass. This time, the forward finished softly while being fouled, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
The sequence was part of an evening in which the Blue Devils displayed a dizzying array of offensive highlights en route to a 134-55 victory over the Bears.
"Kyle and I are just out there playing basketball, making plays and feeding off the crowd," Smith said. "[The fans] add so much excitement to the game, and we try to give some back to them."
Several players flourished in the Blue Devils' new-look, run-and-gun offensive scheme.
Singler was the leading scorer for Duke with 23 points and shot an efficient 10-for-11 from the floor. He also posted three blocks and two steals.
Sophomore Gerald Henderson, meanwhile, added 15 points, throwing down electrifying dunks with regularity in the second half. The forward was especially effective at finishing fast-break opportunities.
"We're trying to install a new system," head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "What we've tried to do as a staff is to study the game. Some of the things we would have liked to do last year we couldn't because of injuries. We have two point guards now, so we can keep up that tempo."
Both Smith and Greg Paulus were effective at running the up-tempo offense, dishing out six and seven assists, respectively, while combining for only three turnovers. Each of the guards was substituted alternately to keep fresh legs on the floor. Paulus logged only 22 minutes and Smith was on the floor for a meager 16 minutes, yet the offense seemed to run seamlessly.
Conversely, the Blue Devils converted 34 Shaw turnovers into 55 points. Duke also held a 37-3 advantage in fast break points and had 76 points in the paint.
"I think that the running style is great," center Brian Zoubek said. "You see how many transition points we get of running our defense and getting a lot of turnovers and steals. Hopefully we'll be able to do that all year."
The Blue Devils' defensive pressure gave Shaw fits in the first half, as the full-court press employed by Duke held the Bears to five field goals in that period. Shaw had more fouls than points until there were just over three minutes remaining before halftime.
Another reason Duke was able to maintain such a fast pace was because of the contributions of its freshman class.
Smith, Singler and Taylor King all turned in solid performances in their first games as Blue Devils. The trio combined for 44 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. Their presence impressed Shaw head coach Robert Brickey, who noticed significant changes in the The Blue Devils since the two squads' meeting last year.
"They've gotten significantly better," Brickey said. "The freshman class is very good, a very polished group. They've got poise, and they've got desire."
With the win, Duke turns its attention to Saturday, when the team clashes with Barton College at 5 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The matchup is the Blue Devils' last exhibition game before regular-season action begins.
Barton is coming off a season in which it went 31-5 en route to capturing the Division-II national title. In the championship game, the Bulldogs provided a finish worthy of YouTube, overcoming a seven-point deficit in the final 45 seconds to top defending champion Winona State. They return three starters from that team and look to continue a 21-game win streak.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.