SPORTS | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Beyond the arc: Duke men's basketball vs. Virginia Tech
By Sid Bhaskara | December 31, 2016The Hokies had their way on offense in a stunning rout of Duke.
The Hokies had their way on offense in a stunning rout of Duke.
The sequence was part of an afternoon of defensive breakdowns for the No. 5 Blue Devils, who had no answer for Virginia Tech's ball movement and spacing.
Virginia Tech holds a 47-31 advantage at halftime at Cassell Coliseum thanks to a balanced Hokie attack led by 31 combined points from Justin Robinson, Justin Bibbs and Seth Allen.
Duke encountered early adversity this year when freshmen Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden suffered injuries before the Blue Devils’ season-opener, joining Harry Giles on the sideline for eight games.
Post play and turnovers could determine the outcome of Duke's ACC opener.
Frank Jackson will likely move into a bigger role again with Grayson Allen serving the first game of his indefinite suspension.
With No. 5 Duke opening ACC play Saturday at Virginia Tech, The Chronicle’s men’s basketball beat writers break down some of the biggest storylines of the Blue Devils’ nonconference slate.
Luke Kennard and Jayson Tatum have shot up draft boards with their consistent play, but freshmen big men Harry Giles and Marques Bolden have disappointed since returning from injuries.
Luke Kennard has consistently been Duke's best player on the floor throughout nonconference play.
A quiet December week for college basketball featured just one top-25 matchup, marking the calm before the storm of conference play.
A number of ACC teams built momentum to finish off nonconference play on a high note.
The Chronicle’s men’s basketball beat writers react to head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s decision and explain what impact it could have on the No. 5 Blue Devils moving forward.
Kyrie Irving has made headlines more frequently off the court than on it, while a surging Jabari Parker is leading the pack for the NBA’s most improved award.
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski hinted that further action could be taken against Grayson Allen following Wednesday's trip against Elon, and he wasted no time punishing his All-American further after benching him to start the second half. Krzyzewski announced that Allen is suspended indefinitely in a statement Thursday morning—his postgame reaction to the trip and Allen's reaction Wednesday can be viewed here.
The No. 5 Blue Devils wrapped up a 72-61 win against Elon at the Greensboro Coliseum, but very few were focused on Duke's 10-game winning streak or freshman Harry Giles' first points as a Blue Devil following the contest. Late in the first half, junior guard Grayson Allen tripped Elon guard Steven Santa Ana on the right baseline, leading to a deadball technical foul and emotional outburst from the All-American.
For the second straight game, Duke is locked in a surprisingly tight game at halftime, but this time it is a fast-paced shootout. And the spotlight will be on Grayson Allen's first-half trip and technical foul.
At first glance, Wednesday's game against Elon appeared to present a chance for the Blue Devils to stay fresh between final exams and a lengthy break for Christmas with ACC play approaching. Instead, Duke will head into that break with a lot more questions than answers.
The Blue Devils will hope to get Harry Giles and Marques Bolden more involved Wednesday in Greensboro.