In one of their most complete performances of the season, the Blue Devils defeated Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. The Blue Zone is here to break down the win with the Player of the Game and more:
One player: Ryan Young
Graduate center Ryan Young has really found his role for Duke this season, becoming a viable option behind fellow big Kyle Filipowski. Against Virginia Tech, Young logged 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting and added five rebounds to his tally — all in 15 minutes. He was instrumental in the Blue Devils’ victory, helping the team to weather any counter attacks from the Hokies and scoring big points when needed to maintain the advantage.
Young saw most of his minutes in the second half after Filipowski found himself in foul trouble. With how important Filipowski’s presence is to this Duke squad, keeping him sidelined for the better part of the second half is certainly not ideal. However, Young filled the void admirably, exhibiting his veteran leadership and giving his younger teammates someone to rally behind. All in all, his presence held the team together. Without the stability that he provided, coming out of Blacksburg, Va., with the win may have proved significantly more difficult.
One word: Triples
Put simply, the Blue Devils won this game behind the arc. Led by senior guard Jeremy Roach’s four deep balls on five attempts, Duke managed to shoot from deep at a 52.9% clip on the night. In addition to the points scored from beyond the arc, the mere threat of a three ball forced the Virginia Tech defense to close out on the perimeter. This opened things up around the basket and granted the Blue Devils more versatility on the offensive end. They took full advantage of this fact as the game went on, which ultimately prevented the gap from being closed.
The Hokies, by comparison, shot at an abysmal 27.3% from three, so it is perhaps no surprise that Duke was able to pull away.
One stat: 38 rebounds
One of the most persistent problems the Blue Devils have faced this season has been their relative inefficacy on the glass. The team has lost the rebounding battle in each of its four losses on the season — often by a sizable margin. In this win, however, Duke managed to grab 38 boards to Virginia Tech’s 20, with 10 coming on the offensive glass. Led by freshman guard Jared McCain and his 10 rebounds, this +18 rebound differential was one of the game’s deciding factors. Controlling the boards on both ends of the court allowed the Blue Devils to both prolong their own possessions and break out in transition off a stop.
The dominance on the glass was especially pronounced on the defensive end. On a night where Duke managed to string together several clinical defensive possessions at a time, a strong presence on the boards was required to keep the Hokies at bay. The Blue Devils have long been plagued by their inability to capitalize on missed shots from their opponents, often bailing them out by conceding an offensive rebound. That was not the case Monday, which helped to propel Duke to its eventual victory.
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