The Blue Devils encountered early adversity this year when freshmen Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden joined Harry Giles on the sidelines for Duke's first eight games due to injuries.
But although all three freshmen are now playing, the Blue Devils will be dealing with more uncertainty when they open conference play with Grayson Allen suspended indefinitely for his third tripping incident.
No. 5 Duke will meet Virginia Tech New Year’s Eve at noon at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va., for the Blue Devils’ first contest since Allen’s suspension and first true road game of the year. The Jacksonville, Fla., native previously sat out Duke’s game against Maine Dec. 3 with turf toe, but his absence against an ACC team with five double-digit scorers will require new adjustments for a Blue Devil squad that struggled in wins against Tennessee State and Elon last week.
“We’re more in October mode than December, because the mistakes that we make now are public or against teams that really can beat you,” Duke head coach Mike Kzyzewski said following the Blue Devils' 72-61 victory against Elon Dec. 21. “You play exhibitions and stuff like that in October and early November, they don’t show up as much."
Duke (12-1) headed into an eight-day exam break in the beginning of December playing its best basketball of the season.
After Tatum exploded for 22 points in his second game back in a 10-point win against then-No. 21 Florida Dec. 6, the Blue Devils shot 70.0 percent in the second half of a route against UNLV. Duke consistently relied on its aggressive defense to turn Runnin’ Rebel turnovers into transition opportunities and easy baskets.
But the Blue Devils did not show that same offensive efficiency and defensive intensity when they returned from the break against Tennessee State Dec. 19. Duke shot 37.3 percent from the floor and was outscored in the paint by a smaller Tiger squad 32 to 18.
In the first half against Elon, the Blue Devils’ defense continued to falter as the Phoenix took advantage of open looks to shoot 7-of-14 from beyond the arc.
“We’re 12-1, but we have a ways to go,” Tatum said. “You can’t win games without defense. Everybody can score in college. You really have to be able to defend to really start your offense."
Defense will be especially critical against a Hokie squad that averages 83.8 points per game. Virginia Tech (11-1) shoots 49.0 percent from the field and has three wins against Power-5 conference teams, though none of the victories have come against ranked competition.
Although 6-foot-7 forward Zach LeDay leads the Hokies with 16.5 points per game off the bench, Virginia Tech relies on a deep rotation with no player averaging more than 32 minutes per contest. But the Hokies—who have won seven straight games—often struggle from slow starts, which could provide the Blue Devils an opportunity to build an early lead on the road.
In Allen's absence, sophomore Luke Kennard and Tatum—who combine for 35.8 points per game—will likely take on an additional scoring load. But who Kzyzewski will start in place of Allen remains unknown.
The most likely candidate is freshman guard Frank Jackson, whose minutes have declined recently due to a sore foot. Kzyzewski could also start a bigger lineup with Bolden, Giles or sophomore Chase Jeter alongside graduate student Amile Jefferson and Tatum in the frontcourt. The latter option may be less likely as Duke’s trio of young big men have struggled to find consistency through nonconference play.
Bolden has almost fallen out of Duke’s rotation since scoring six points in 13 minutes against UNLV. The former 16th-ranked recruit in the 2016 ESPN 100 played just three minutes without recording any stats against Elon. When he has been on the court, Bolden has appeared hesitant and unaccustomed to the speed of college play, raising uncertainty about what his role might be moving forward.
In Giles’ first action of the season against Tennessee State and Elon, the Winston-Salem, N.C., native also showed little chemistry with his teammates. Giles registered one point and two rebounds in six minutes against the Phoenix, but could have more of an impact on both ends of the court as his playing time and stamina increase.
“He was in [for] important minutes, and that’s a step,” Kzyzewski said in reference to Giles’ performance against Elon. “That’s a step that we need to move forward…. He’s got to get into playing shape.”
In addition to focusing on its own rotation, Duke will have to deal with a hostile crowd for the first time this year and put past struggles in Blacksburg in the rearview mirror.
In 2011, the then-No. 1 Blue Devils fell to the Hokies in a loss that ultimately cost Duke a regular-season ACC championship. Then, two years ago, the Blue Devils needed overtime to overcome Virginia Tech's boisterous crowd and pull out a five-point win.
With the Hokies off to their best start in six years, Saturday's meeting presents a stiff test that could indicate how the Blue Devils will bounce back throughout the rest of the season.
“We know it’s going to be tough,” Tatum said. “A lot of great teams in the ACC…. We’re looking forward to [what's] coming up, and it’s going to be great games.”
Hank Tucker contributed reporting.
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