Duke basketball player of the week: Week 14

Quinn Cook

Statline: Wednesday vs. No. 15 North Carolina: 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting, four rebounds and three assists in 45 minutes. Saturday vs. Clemson: 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting, four rebounds, four assists and one steal in 39 minutes.

The good: O Captain! My Captain! There are barely enough adjectives to extol the performance of a player who led his team past its eternal rival in an overtime thriller like Cook did Wednesday. The 6-foot-2 guard delivered six triples in regulation and Duke’s last two points of the game from the free throw line in the dramatic 92-90 win against No. 15 North Carolina. Against the Tar Heels, the senior captain also showed a facet of his game that is not usually highlighted: his defense. With his fellow guards, Cook held the Tar Heel starting backcourt of Marcus Paige and Justin Jackson to just seven points on 3-of-19 shooting.

But the captain wanted more this week. With Jahlil Okafor out due to an ankle injury Saturday, Cook made sure there would be no letdown for his team after an emotional win. The Washington native tied a career high with 27 points, nine of which came from beyond the arc, in Duke’s 78-56 victory against Clemson. In addition to being the top scorer of the game in the team’s seventh-straight win, Cook sparked one of the Blue Devils' best 40-minute defensive performances with his communication and hustle in Duke's various press looks.

The bad: There is not really an aspect of the game that Cook is struggling with right now as he continues by far his best season in Durham, but if one was to pick anything that could have gone better, it would be the fiery competitor's free throw shooting Wednesday night. Cook had a chance to ice the game in overtime, but missed two enormous free throws that kept North Carolina alive. He eventually helped make the plays that secured the Blue Devils' win on the defensive end, but as Duke prepares for the home stretch of the regular season and postseason, it might not be able to afford more late misses from the normally automatic shooter. Even with the misses, Cook is shooting 88.7 percent from the free throw line, so Wednesday night was likely an aberration, but Cook can only be the Blue Devils' closer if he continues knocking down free throws at a high rate.

The bottom line: The team’s lone senior has been the leader the young Blue Devils need this season. Cook has dominated every offensive aspect of the game with his 3-pointers, play-making, and ability to rise to the occasion late in games. But after a euphoric victory against Duke's eternal rival, the Washington native has also helped a team mainly consisting of freshmen to stay focused. His leadership will be crucial for Duke not only in the four games left before the end of the regular season, but also for the ACC and NCAA tournaments, and barring any major surprises, Cook should be collecting several individual accolades when the season concludes.

Honorable mention: Tyus Jones continued to show he has ice in his veins. When playing on the biggest stages, the 6-foot-1 guard has been at his best, and Wednesday night was no different. Against the Tar Heels, the Apple Valley, Minn., native stole the spotlight as he totaled 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting and added eight assists, seven rebounds and one steal in 43 minutes. The Blue Devils managed to overcome a seemingly impossible seven-point deficit against the Tar Heels thanks to Jones, who scored all the points needed to tie the game with only 1:36 remaining. Against the Tigers, the rookie scored in the double-digits again. He totaled 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting, and added nine assists, four steals, and two rebounds in 39 minutes.