Jahlil Okafor
Statline: Friday vs. Robert Morris: 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, three rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal in 21 minutes; Sunday vs. San Diego State: 26 points on 12-of-16 shooting, six rebounds, three blocks, two assists and one steal in 33 minutes.
The good: Jahlil Okafor, averaging 17.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest, scored in double figures in all but one of the 32 games he played before March Madness. The ACC Player of the Year stretched his scoring streak this weekend, totaling 47 points in his two first NCAA tournament games. Okafor became the seventh freshman in the history of the NCAA tournament to score at least 20 points in each of his first two contests.
His 21 points in Duke’s 85-56 victory against Robert Morris—the Blue Devils’ 100th win in the NCAA tournament—Friday at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C., are the most a Blue Devil freshman has ever delivered in an NCAA tournament debut. Two days later, the 6-foot-11 center delivered a game-high 26 points in Duke’s win 68-49 against San Diego State in the Round of 32. Eighteen of his points came in the opening half and 20 were in the paint. Because of his dominance, the Blue Devils were able to establish control in the paint early on and cruise to victory in their first two tournament games.
The bad: Okafor tried a reverse dunk to be remembered in the second half against Robert Morris. But he missed it and allowed the Colonials to reduce Duke’s lead to 10 points immediately after. Head coach Mike Krzyzweski, not happy with a play he considered unnecessary, sent the big man off to the bench after calling a timeout.
It is true that if the Chicago native hadn’t blown the jam, it would have been one of a number of highlights he has had this season. But after missing it, he didn’t run back on defense, which Kryzweski interpreted as a sign of fatigue and lack of focus. Other than the miscue, though, Okafor's first NCAA tournament experience could not have been much better.
The bottom line: The Chicago native, also named ACC Freshman of the Year, has been putting up standout numbers in his first year as a Blue Devil and his role will again be a determining factor in Duke’s Sweet 16 contest against fifth-seeded Utah Friday. If Okafor continues playing at a high level in transition and passing out of double teams effectively, the Blue Devils will be tough to stop in Houston this weekend.
Honorable mention: Senior captain Quinn Cook registered a game-high 22 points against Robert Morris and scored 15 points against San Diego State. The veteran guard, averaging 15.9 points and 2.8 assists, has scored in double figures in 11 of his last 12 games. Cook knocked down 9-of-18 3-pointers this weekend and added nine rebounds and seven assists, providing the outside shooting needed to complement Okafor and keep defenses honest.
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