No. 11 Duke men’s basketball returns to Cameron Indoor Stadium for a clash with Seattle. After 20 minutes of play, the Blue Devils hold a 37-25 lead:
Bouncing back
Head coach Jon Scheyer’s squad lost to Kansas in devastating fashion Tuesday night in Las Vegas, squandering three chances to take the lead or tie the game in the final minute. Tonight, it was certainly a sluggish start for Duke. At the second media timeout, Duke led just 10-9, shooting a measly 27.3% from the field. After the break, however, the Blue Devils extended their lead, ending the half on a 27-16 run. Scheyer’s team was looking to gain confidence ahead of a marquee home matchup against No. 4 Auburn Wednesday night. This is Duke’s fourth home contest against a mid-major opponent this season; the Blue Devils are 3-0 and average a plus-42 point margin in those games.
No fear from three
Tuesday night against Kansas, the Blue Devils shot 26 3-pointers at an impressive 42.3% clip, and it looks as if Scheyer did not want to stray from that gameplan offensively. Seven of the Blue Devils' first eight shots were from behind the arc, going 2-for-7, and they finished the half with 20 3-pointers at a 30% clip. On Tuesday night, the shots were not falling early for the Blue Devils, which allowed Kansas to open the game on a 16-3 run alongside some strong shooting from the Jayhawks. Tonight, the defensive prowess of the Blue Devils kept the Redhawks at bay, despite the Blue Devils missing their early deep-ball opportunities. On many possessions in the first half, it seemed as if Duke was settling for 3-pointers rather than forcing the ball inside, oftentimes early in the shot clock. Look for star forward Cooper Flagg to begin driving more consistently in the second half.
Brown’s defense shines again
The story of the first half against Kansas was the defensive presence of backup center Maliq Brown, and it was much of the same tonight. He immediately registered two deflections and a steal upon entering the game, and he then came up with a loose ball just two possessions later. The shot-blocking capabilities of starting center Khaman Maluach are enticing for a coach, but Brown’s ability to play opposing centers physically and guard on the perimeter is extremely valuable for a team that wants to create turnovers and get in transition. And although Brown stands at just 6-foot-9, he recorded a block of his own, showing that his athleticism can more than make up for any height he lacks against opposing big men.
Sloppy play
Duke’s first half, particularly the first 12 minutes, was trademarked by a lack of discipline on both sides of the ball. The Blue Devils had committed five fouls with eight minutes to go, four of which gave the Redhawks free throws. Offensively, the Blue Devils turned the ball over eight times in the first half, with seven different Duke players committing a turnover. However, Scheyer’s team was largely able to force Seattle into a similar style of play. The Redhawks turned the ball over seven times themselves and fouled Duke 10 times, leading to nine Blue Devil free throws. Although it did not capitalize on the turnovers, Duke did convert on 7-for-9 free throws, a major contributor to the lead it built over the first 20 minutes.
Player of the half: Kon Knueppel
After a rough shooting performance Tuesday night, going 0-for-8 from deep, it appears that freshman Kon Knueppel has returned to form. Knueppel racked up eight points on perfect shooting in the first half, including 2-for-2 from 3-point land. Knueppel also picked up an assist and two rebounds. In 15 minutes of play, the freshman from Milwaukee had a +11 plus-minus, leading all Blue Devils.
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