Duke responded well from Saturday night’s setback, but Scheyer highlights areas to grow on defensive end

At Littlejohn Coliseum Saturday night, Duke allowed its third-most points all season, 77, in a loss to Clemson. All the more bothersome for head coach Jon Scheyer, Clemson’s two forwards combined for 34 points. Nonetheless, in the first half of the squad’s matchup against Cal, it seemed like Scheyer’s message was received. 

Eventually topping the Golden Bears 78-57, the Blue Devils allowed a mere 23 points in the first half on under 28.6% shooting from the field. In that first half, freshman Khaman Maluach added a thunderous block, and Tyrese Proctor and Cooper Flagg had a steal each.

Yet just as in Saturday night’s defeat, Duke took its foot off of the gas pedal defensively after the halftime break, and while Cal, unlike Clemson, never found its footing on the offensive end, Scheyer recognized the lack of execution.

“I thought our defense wasn't quite the same in the second half again,” Scheyer said. “We're going to address that.”

Like most of the year, it was the frontcourt of this Duke team — Maluach and Flagg — that led the charge. On top of scoring 27 points, Flagg contributed three steals and guarded positions one through five. Maluach held Cal starting center Mady Sissoko to a mere seven points and three rebounds, all while filling driving lanes and forcing heavily contested shots from all over the floor. 

“To be 7-foot-2 and play with that big of a motor and then still be a great decision-maker and play hard … just really proud of him,” Scheyer said of Maluach. 

Proctor also excelled on the defensive end, using his 6-foot-6 frame to pick up ball-handlers and get into passing lanes and contributing a pair of steals on his own. 

“He's been kind of our defensive anchor the entire year, just locking people down,” Flagg said of Proctor. 

Take Flagg for example: Up 24 points, he jumps a passing lane and tips the ball to himself en route to a fast-break jam. There’s not many players in the country that have the will to exude that effort on defense, albeit with a dunk as a reward.

“We're way better in transition, so just getting stops and pushing the ball helps us out a lot,” Flagg said. 

For Proctor, it’s pride that inspires defense. 

“Since coming to Duke, I take pride in playing defense,” Proctor said. “I mean, our best offense comes from our defense.”

Maluach’s defensive prowess stems from his commitment to his teammates. 

“Be loud out there, be aggressive and let my teammates know that I got their backs,” Maluach said of his defense. 

The most exciting thing is not just the play of those key three defenders, but also the defensive flashes from Kon Knueppel, Mason Gillis, Sion James and of course, Maliq Brown. There are few glaring weaknesses with this Duke team defensively, no holes to attack. Many speculated that freshman Isaiah Evans' limited minutes early in the year were due to his defensive ability, but even he is checking into games and guarding with effort.

As February slowly turns to March, this Blue Devil squad, led by Flagg, Proctor and Maluach, will inevitably rely on its defense to carry itself through ACC and potentially NCAA Tournament games. For Scheyer, his team’s execution must match its effort.