After a run to the Elite Eight, Duke's season ended with a 85-81 overtime loss to No. 1 seed Kansas. The Blue Zone gives three key takeaways and stats from the loss and looks forward for the Blue Devils:
Three key takeaways:
1. Should Duke have switched to a 1-3-1 zone to start the second half?
In a head-scratching move by legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski, the Blue Devils began the half in a 1-3-1 zone. In the first half, Duke in their regular zone held the Jayhawks to just 33 points—seven below their season average. It was clear: that zone was working.
After halftime, Krzyzewski tried to make some adjustments to the zone by running a 1-3-1—which led to disastrous results. Kansas came out strong in the second half, storming out to an 11-3 run. A major weakness of that particular zone is the corner 3-pointer, which was where the Jayhawks excelled all game, and especially in the final 20 minutes.
2. At the end of regulation, Krzyzewski does not call time out and goes with Allen isolation
After Kansas hit a stunning 3-pointer to tie it up with 25 seconds left, Krzyzewski opted not to call a timeout and let his team play. Instead of putting a play in place to create the best shot possible, he put the ball in his senior captain's hands.
While Allen has had success taking the final shot in the past, Duke had taken the lead late in the game not from just having his guard go 1-on-1, but rather from the pick and roll. Allen was able to get a decent shot off at the end of the game, but maybe the Blue Devils could have gotten a better shot if they regrouped before the final possession.
3. Despite struggling in his last game, Grayson Allen is an all-time great Blue Devil
In his final game in a Duke uniform, the senior guard was underwhelming. He shot 3-of-13 from the field, including 22 percent from beyond the arc, and only managed four assists.
But Allen has been the consummate college basketball player and has been a great Duke player in his career. He is a two time All-ACC player, 4 time Academic All-ACC honoree, a conference champion, and a national champion. This game and his struggles in the tournament should not overshadow the fact he has been one of the best players in Blue Devil history.
Three key stats:
1. Duke shoots 24.1 percent from deep
In Omaha, Duke just could never find its rhythm from beyond the arc. On the season, Duke was a strong 3-point shooting team, but the Blue Devils finished just 7-of-29 against Syracuse and Kansas. Once more, the team's two most prolific shooters from the regular season, Allen and Gary Trent Jr, finished a combined 4-of-19 from deep.
2. Kansas outrebounds Duke 47-32
Going into the game, Duke was dominant on the boards. The Blue Devils ranked 5th in the country in team rebounding percentage and 1st overall in offensive rebounding percentage. Kansas was a below average team rebounding the ball, ranking in the middle of the country in offensive rebounding percentage. But it was the Jayhawks who were able to control the glass, grabbing 17 offensive rebounds and outrebounding Duke by 15.
3. Bagley attempts just nine shots
Despite the fact that Marvin Bagley III played 44 minutes, the freshman star only managed to take nine shots. Kansas constantly doubled him on the low block and forced him to pass it out off a double-team.
Looking forward:
Despite the tough loss, Blue Devil fans have plenty to be excited for next year. Duke could lose every starter from this year, but with the recruiting class coming in, there is not too much to fret about.
Krzyzewski has recruited the number No. 1, 2 and 3 recruits in the country, as well as a top-5 point guard from the Class of 2018 in Tre Jones. The Blue Devils should also have some depth with Marques Bolden, Alex O’Connell, and Javin DeLaurier all likely returning to Durham. Allen and others will be missed, but expectations will be very high once again for Duke.
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