Duke basketball kicks off season at Countdown to Craziness, hangs 2015 banner

Duke opened Countdown to Craziness Saturday night with the hanging of its 2015 national championship banner, capping off what was already bound to be a special evening at Cameron Indoor Stadium. After player introductions, the Blue Devils went right to business and split up into Blue and White squads, playing an aggressive style of play that drew gasps from the crowd every time a player hit the deck. Senior Amile Jefferson and freshman Brandon Ingram were perhaps the most dominant players on the court, but no single player seemed to steal the spotlight. White won the first half 27-21 and edged Blue in the second half 22-18.

Here are some observations from the scrimmage:

• The first-half starters for Blue were Antonio Vrankovic, Derryck Thornton, Chase Jeter, Matt Jones and Brandon Ingram. For White, it was Grayson Allen, Marshall Plumlee, Sean Obi, Luke Kennard and Amile Jefferson. 
• Several changes were made for the second half—Obi switched teams and started for Vrankovic on Blue, Vrankovic moved to White and did not start, freshman Justin Robinson started for White, and Jefferson swapped spots with Jeter.
• Ball handling and shooting were issues for both teams. They combined for a 41.7 percent field goal clip and committed six turnovers in the 24 minutes of play.
• Ingram did not waste time acclimating to the collegiate level. He swished his first shot attempt—a fadeaway over Allen—and followed with a drive to the hoop that resulted in a three-point play. Finishing with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting in the first half, he proved why he is a threat both on the perimeter and near the rim, before cooling down with an 0-for-5 shooting performance in the second half.
• Plumlee delivered three big-time jams. First, he welcomed Vrankovic to Cameron with no mercy, downing a one-handed dunk over the freshman for his second bucket of the night. Later, he took a steal and carried it down the court for a two-handed jam. The redshirt senior also downed a turn-around hook shot from the free throw line and, late in the second half, slammed a Grayson Allen alley-hoop home. His aggressiveness and on-court leadership stood out early on.
• Along with Plumlee, Jefferson helped White dominate Blue in the paint in the first half. Jefferson finished the half with seven points, going 2-for-3 from the field and grabbing three boards. White outrebounded Blue in the first half by a 14-7 margin.
• Both Allen and Kennard played point for the White team in the first half, before Allen was the sole point guard for White in the second half. Allen played his usual stingy defense and though he made plays for others—contributing three assists in the first half—he shot 0-for-4 during the first 12 minutes. Allen got hot in the second half, making three straight field goals at one point. Kennard, who caught and shot when he did not bring up the ball, finished the game shooting 5-of-13 with no turnovers in the second half.
• Kennard finished the first half with a phenomenal play. The White team barely got the inbound pass, but after he picked it up, he crossed by a few defenders before stopping and nailing a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. The 3-pointer followed another trey by fellow freshman Ingram.
• Thornton did not play well early on. Although he shot 1-for-2 from the field, he committed five of his team's nine turnovers in the first half. The woes continued in the second half with two more turnovers. 
• Matt Jones shot 1-for-2 in the first half but committed three personal fouls and one turnover. Like Thornton, he stayed quiet in the second half.
• Jeter struggled with the ball and on defense. He committed four turnovers, but just as importantly, seemed to be outmatched by the more experienced Plumlee and Jefferson in the paint. However, down the stretch he gained an offensive presence, finishing with six points in the second half.