Brandon Ingram
The statline:
Monday vs. Elon: 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting, 11 rebounds, one assist and three steals in 31 minutes.
Wednesday vs. Long Beach State: 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting, five rebounds, one assist and two steals in 35 minutes.
Saturday vs. Boston College: 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting, nine rebounds, three assists and one steal in 40 minutes.
The good: Head coach Mike Krzyzewski has been playing Ingram more and more minutes, and the talented freshman has not disappointed. After struggling from the floor against Long Beach State, the forward showed his ability to bounce back with a strong performance against Boston College in which he played all 40 minutes. Ingram has also helped clean up the glass in the absence of senior Amile Jefferson and is becoming a better defender by using his length to come away with deflections and steals. With the freshman becoming the focal point of Duke's offense, Ingram has displayed his versatility on both ends of the floor and ability to impact the game in multiple ways.
The bad: The freshman has been plagued by inconsistency at times this season with a trend of having one subpar shooting night sandwiched by multiple strong performances. To take the next step and reach the upper echelon of players in the country, Ingram must be able to bring his best on a consistent basis and play even bigger against highly-ranked opponents. A possible concern for the Kinston, N.C., native going forward could be his heavy workload with the team shorthanded till Jefferson returns.
The bottom line: Ingram has come close to fully making the transition to the college game. The forward has showcased an array of talents—with the ability to score with a smooth jump shot or drive to the hoop with ease. Due to this versatility, Krzyzewski has kept Ingram on the floor for extended minutes during the team's recent stretch. As the talented freshman becomes more and more accustomed to the additional physicality of conference play, look for the Duke offense to revolve around Ingram. With his slow start to the season behind him, the only thing stopping the freshman from becoming a dominant force is his inexperience.
Honorable mention: Grayson Allen had another good week of play for the team, highlighted by a 33-point showing against Long Beach State, in which the sophomore shot 15-of-17 from the free-throw line. Allen has been efficient from the floor and shot 53 percent from the field in the team's three victories this week. In Saturday's game against the Eagles, Allen showed that he could do it all, with nine rebounds, five assists and three steals to go along with his 17 points. If the sophomore stays aggressive and sustains his current level of play, the guard could be in the running for the Player of the Year award.
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