No. 4 Duke men’s basketball returns from a 10-day hiatus to take on Virginia Tech in Cameron Indoor Stadium. After 20 minutes of play, the Blue Devils hold a 37-27 lead:
Home for the holidays
After a 10-day respite — the longest in regular-season play — No. 4 Duke men’s basketball is back against Virginia Tech in its ACC home opener. Last seen on the road at Georgia Tech for an 82-65 Blue Devil victory, Duke seemed to have difficulty shaking off the rust — but so did the Hokies. While Cooper Flagg quickly secured the first points of the game, the Blue Devils struggled early, awarding Virginia Tech early momentum with multiple turnovers and fouls. Duke has had a streaky pattern with shooting this year, and that continued Tuesday. Combined with the extended rest, the Blue Devils had trouble connecting just 10 minutes into the contest, with the Hokies leading 14-12 at the second media timeout.
Schutt-out
Blue Devil transfer Jaden Schutt returns to Cameron Indoor after his move to the Hokies last season. The sophomore redshirted the 2023-24 season after averaging only seven minutes on the court across 14 games. Hailed for his ability to connect outside the arc, the Yorkville, Ill., native left Durham with a 35% 3-point percentage. The former Blue Devil has found more success in Blacksburg, Va., as a key member of the Hokies’ starting lineup. Connecting on only 1-of-4 attempts from deep, the 6-foot-5 guard isn’t afraid to shoot, but often fell short of the rim.
Flipped the script
The Blue Devils spent much of the first period trailing the Hokies— often by just a shot. Both teams found a slow start to the match, with underdog Virginia Tech capitalizing early. Duke is currently ranked No. 1 in the ACC, while the Hokies find themselves on the opposite side of the rankings. But as the game progressed, the Blue Devils found their footing, approaching halftime with a 31-20 lead at the under-4 media timeout. On the flip side, the Hokies found themselves in a drought, with only two points scored in five minutes — only broken with an and-one from Patrick Wessler.
Cold from deep early
The winter weather has found its way inside Cameron Indoor as the Blue Devils have iced themselves out from beyond the arc. With only 26.3% of 3-point field goals met, Duke faces one of its greatest challenges this season — precision in shooting. The Virginia Tech squad leans shorter than the Blue Devils, especially with the Hokies’ starting guard 5-foot-11 Ben Hammond, so Duke should find a clear view of the basket. However, the Blue Devils seem to still be scraping the ice off their windshield. Although Duke has not had strong accuracy this season, this game sits below the Blue Devils’ average 3-point percentage for this season.
Player of the half: Cooper Flagg
Recently turned 18-year-old Flagg has come back to Cameron with a vengeance and an early New Year’s resolution — to make every shot count. The Newport, Maine, native has 14 points and scored on 5-of-7 attempts this half — an improvement from his average shooting percentage of 42.1%. Included in his five made shots was two connections on 3-pointers. The team’s success can be attributed to Flagg’s early start. The freshman seemed to find his momentum earlier than the rest of the squad, keeping Duke just within range of the Hokies in the first 10 minutes and blowing past Virginia Tech in the second 10.
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