The reality is simple: Belin is fine. He played a solid game against N.C. State, working within a scheme that did not hinge on the sort of heroics that only someone as talented as Leonard can execute. But Duke is going to need every weapon it has against the Seminoles.
There’s a reactionary, emotional response that tends to rise up in fans after a game like that. That said, I think it’s important to have some perspective.
I’m here to say that the wins against the Leopards and Wildcats were demonstrative of more than some might be willing to admit, and that the Blue Devils are absolutely trending in the right direction to challenge Notre Dame in a few weeks.
Suddenly, and perhaps only temporarily, there is stability for the ACC and commissioner Jim Phillips, but there is also more cause than ever to question whether the conference has finally lost its path (or maybe its marbles).
I must be the bearer of bad news. Duke has been here before. In fact, an almost identical situation played out in the 90s under the direction of Fred Goldsmith — and it didn’t go so well.
For the Blue Devils to truly contend in the ACC, or even fight for the top spot in that second tier, they need to keep their first game close.
In a vacuum, Elko’s extension is nothing more than a just reward for an incredible, if not wholly unexpected, season. But I think there’s a second, more existential reason for Duke’s renewed faith in its head coach.
Despite Duke's lofty expectations heading into 2023, the program fell well short of them. As a result, it's time for the Blue Devils to turn a new leaf.
Conventional sports wisdom states that certain teams always choke in the postseason, certain teams always beat certain other teams, and whatever else has been levied against a team with a vague gesture to history as evidence. Monday afternoon proved exactly why conventional wisdom fails so often in sports.
While Duke has shown its capability to compete against any team in the country, the margin of error for this team is razor thin.
The men made headlines for the referees’ misstep in that infamous game, but just two weeks earlier, an arguably more catastrophic blunder was committed.
If there were any questions remaining as to Duke's status as a national contender, the Blue Devils answered all of them in Friday's win.
As Duke's season met its end Monday night against Colorado, the full story of its turnaround season came into view.
The backcourt duo is behind much of the offensive growth that is driving Duke's late-season success.
Duke has lost back-to-back games, head coach Jon Scheyer is 'pissed' and the ACC has admitted an enormous error. Where does it all leave the Blue Devils?
In 2022, a promising season for the Blue Devils crumbled down the stretch. To take the next step, Duke will have to brave a challenging ACC.
Can Duke take down North Carolina to stop the one-step-forward, one-step-backward dance that it did almost all of January?
With boosted investment across the board, a thrilling encore to this year could be in store for the Blue Devils.
There’s a Sisyphean nature to Duke, if Sisyphus could get his boulder over the hill and immediately discover another, even larger hill staring him down.
Five contests in, it has been a mixed bag for the Blue Devils.
