With senior captain Amile Jefferson sidelined with a fractured right foot, the Blue Devils found themselves suddenly reliant on perimeter scoring, lacking a go-to scorer in the paint.
That formula worked out just fine Monday against Elon, as Duke piled up 105 points—70 of them in the first half—in a 39-point rout of Elon. A repeat performance might be too much to ask for Wednesday—the outburst was jus the second time under head coach Mike Krzyzewski that the Blue Devils have scored 70 or more points in a half—but No. 15 Duke will continue to discover its new identity against Long Beach State at 4 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
"Since we don’t have a second big...our spacing is even better, and we’re going to use that lane to keep our big a little bit lower and just try to play a little bit different style of basketball," Krzyzewski said after Monday's win. "It’ll be good for this team, and we’ll see if we can play good enough defense to hold our own."
Brandon Ingram led the charge agains the Phoenix, pouring in 20 of his 26 points in the first half. Without Jefferson, Ingram has also upped his rebounding production, snagging 10.0 boards per game in the three contests Jefferson has missed.
Duke (10-2) used several quick runs to create breathing room against Elon, forcing the Phoenix to take low-percentage shots.
“Right now, we’re ready for our game against Long Beach State, and we’re confident enough to play anybody right now, so having one more non-conference game and then heading into conference play, we’re ready,” sophomore Grayson Allen said Monday. “We’re confident in what we can do offensively, we’re confident in our defensive ability to pressure the ball and help. Amile is a big loss for us, but [it's] next man up and we’re ready to play.”
Allen scored 17 points Monday and handed out a team-high five assists. The Jacksonville, Fla., native has put himself in the national spotlight this season with electrifying dunks, but the sophomore is also leading Duke in helpers with 3.3 per contest.
Ingram has come on strong of late, but Duke's perimeter onslaught has a chance to reach a new level if freshman Luke Kennard can stay hot.
Kennard posted a career-high 24 points in the Blue Devils' 77-75 overtime loss against Utah Dec. 19 and added 18 more Monday, the latest sign that the freshman is finding his shooting stroke. The Franklin, Ohio, native has scored at least 11 points in five of his last seven contests and is shooting 95.0 percent from the free-throw line, attacking the basket and proving that he can be a threat from more than just beyond the 3-point line.
“People just think I’m a shooter, but if I drive the ball and kick it out, they’ve got to kind of take that away,” Kennard said Monday. “Driving the ball, scoring around the basket, just make plays. Just be a player. That [is] what Coach wants me to do, that’s what my teammates want me to do and I just have to do that for them.”
Long Beach State (6-8) heads to Durham having won only one of its last five games and fell by double-digits against the two ranked squads it has played this season—87-52 against then-No. 6 Virginia Nov. 20 and 85-70 against then-No. 8 Arizona Dec. 22. Krzyzewski's staff will see a familiar face in guard Nick Faust, who began his college career at Maryland. The redshirt senior has teamed with junior Travis Hammonds to average 26.8 points per contest, with help from senior A.J. Spencer and sophomore Justin Bibbins.
Elon hoisted 31 shots from behind the arc Monday, and Long Beach State will also force the Blue Devils to defend the 3-point line. Faust and Hammons shoot 43.0 percent and 41.4 percent from downtown, respectively. When the Phoenix misfired, Duke got out in the open floor for easy opportunities around the rim, kickstarting the runs that put the game out of reach.
“We’re really dangerous in transition, so when we can get stops and perimeter rebound the ball and get out on the break, that’s where I think we’re really dangerous, in keeping the defense on its heels and being able to drive at them and kick when they’re not set.” Allen said.
Duke opens ACC play Saturday at Boston College.
Hank Tucker contributed reporting.
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