Statline: Saturday vs. Maryland: 23 points on 6-of-16 shooting, 9-of-10 free throw shooting, eight rebounds, and two blocks.
Tuesday at Georgia Tech: 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 4-of-8 free throw shooting, 14 rebounds, and three blocks.
Thursday at North Carolina: 17 points of 7-of-14 shooting, 3-of-6 free throw shooting, 11 rebounds, two blocks, and five turnovers.
The good: It was going to be difficult for Duke to escape this four-games-in-eight-days stretch unscathed, but Parker played a big role in mitigating the damage, as Duke is 2-1 heading into the much-anticipated rematch with Syracuse Saturday night. Against Maryland, it was Parker with the emphatic go-ahead dunk with 1:17 remaining to put the Blue Devils in the position to win. He followed that performance up with solid all-around efforts against Georgia Tech and North Carolina. Although his outside shooting remains missing in action in conference play, he has managed to remain aggressive and fill up the box score with forays into the lane.
The bad: With the Blue Devils struggling in the second half Thursday night, they desperately needed their best player to pick up the slack. However, Parker was just as absent, as he managed just one field goal in the final 15 minutes of the second half. That one field goal came with only 19 seconds left on the clock.
Additionally, Parker's poor outside shooting isn't a huge problem, but his free throw shooting is concerning—he has missed seven combined shots from the line in the past two games. It's important that the freshman is able to convert from the charity stripe, as that will reinforce the aggressive nature that is so key to his game.
The bottom line: At his best, Parker is perhaps the most unstoppable offensive force in college basketball. When he plays up to his capabilities—as he did in crucial moments against Maryland, and in the first half versus North Carolina—it creates leads and good results for Duke. However, although his stats are pretty similar from game-to-game, the freshman phenom goes through in-game swoons that limit his effectiveness, as was on display in the second half in Chapel Hill. If Parker starts playing dominantly for the full 40 minutes, opponents will find themselves in serious trouble.
Honorable mention: Rodney Hood continued to be Mr. Consistent for Duke, as he, like Parker, racked up double-digits in all three games this week. However, he was relatively inefficient (shooting worse than 50 percent in each game) and otherwise unproductive, only tallying two rebounds and two assists combined across the three contests. In the second half of the North Carolina game, Hood was one of the biggest culprits of the Duke slide, shooting a paltry 2-for-9 in the second period. Quinn Cook, who has struggled this year and has been benched, had a nice bounce-back week. The junior point guard shot well against Georgia Tech and perhaps played the best of anyone on Thursday night—notching 17 points, three assists, and three rebounds while serving as Duke's most capable perimeter threat on the night. His offensive play, whether as the starting point guard or the sixth man, will be crucial for the Blue Devils going forward.Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
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