INDIANAPOLIS—Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski likes to talk about how his team's defense fuels its offense—so much so that Quinn Cook and Justise Winslow both dropped that line on the podium following the Blue Devils' 81-61 win against Michigan State.
But Krzyzewski actually seemed to think the reverse was true Saturday.
"We drove the ball with such strength, and I actually think our offense gave our defense a push in how hard we were taking it to the basket," he said.
Winslow attacked the rim at will, Cook picked his spots to penetrate and Jahlil Okafor went right at his Spartan defenders. But it was freshman Grayson Allen who provided the signature highlight with a thunderous put-back dunk of his own miss to give Duke a 19-point lead.
In the days leading up to Saturday's game, the talking points from both sides revolved around both teams had changed dramatically since the Blue Devils beat Michigan State 81-71 in the Champions Classic in November. There may be no better example of that than Allen.
The Jacksonville, Fla., native played just one minute in that Nov. 18 game, missing his only shot—a total non-factor. But as the Duke bench has shrunk from 10 scholarship players to eight after a midseason transfer and dismissal, Allen's role has expanded.
Saturday night, the 6-foot-4 freshman was the first Blue Devil off the bench for Krzyzewski. Allen played 17 minutes, pouring in nine points.
One of Allen's strengths is his attacking mentality—Krzyzewski said after the game that he does it better than any other player on the roster. The freshman put that facet of his game on display Saturday, drawing contact in the paint to get to the foul line, where he went 5-for-6.
Allen also found himself on the floor multiple times, diving for loose balls. He was not successful on either attempt, but the hustle gave Duke some of the energy that the Blue Devils have when at their best defensively.
"The biggest part [of defense] is an emotional commitment—being emotional on the offensive end, being excited for each other," Allen said. "It really turned around where getting a stop is even more exciting than getting a dunk on the offensive end."
Allen was the only Blue Devil reserve to make a field goal Saturday, but Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee still provided quality minutes off the bench, combining for 10 rebounds. Another solid night of bench production will be key to Duke's title hopes Monday night against a deep, veteran Wisconsin team.
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