Duke Men’s Basketball suffered an upset loss to Virginia Tech in their first conference game of the season. Check out five things we learned from the game.
The 5th-ranked Blue Devils started off ACC play with an 89-75 loss to Virginia Tech. Duke struggled offensively in their first game without junior guard Grayson Allen, and the Hokies were able to dominate in a game where they led from start to finish. Luke Kennard led the game with 34 points and Jayson Tatum finished with 18 as the only Blue Devils to reach double figures. Here are five takeaways from the game and things to look or moving forward this season.
Next: Virginia Tech Basketball Q&A With Fighting Gobbler
Lack of Ball Movement
One of the underrated qualities of Grayson Allen was his ability to play as a ball-handler and playmaker for the Blue Devils, and Duke was missing his 3.5 assists per game in his absence today. Duke only recorded 8 assists on 28 made shots, and most of their offense came from isolation plays which the Hokies successfully defended. No guard recorded more than two assists and forward/center Amile Jefferson led the team with three, which should never happen on this Duke team. This is crucial for the Blue Devils going forward to fix their offense and get back to performing well even without Allen.
No Bench Production
Depth was supposed to be a huge strength for Duke Basketball this season, however injuries have made it a weakness. Freshman Harry Giles had his best game of the season recording 4 points and 8 rebounds, but was the only factor off the bench for the Blue Devils. He was the only reserve to score for Duke, and overall the bench managed 4 points and 13 rebounds between Giles, Chase Jeter, Marques Bolden, and Jack White. Allen’s suspension also moved freshman guard Frank Jackson back into the starting lineup which removes some scoring from the bench.
Busting Brackets
Foul Trouble
Duke struggled with foul trouble without the game, which could be an issue going forward with the lack of depth. Jackson accumulated three fouls in the first half which forced little-used freshman Jack White into the game right before the break. Jackson and Amile Jefferson both finished the game with four fouls and allowed Virginia Tech to shoot 26 free throws.
No Competitive Fight
Even though Grayson Allen was rightfully suspended for his third tripping incident, one thing that the team really missed was his competitiveness and fight. Kennard was the only player that seemed to play with any fire and purpose for the entire game, and everyone will need to play with that spirit in order for Duke Basketball to improve going forward.
Lack of Defense
One big issue was that the Blue Devils let their poor offensive performance dictate their defense. While Duke only had two players score at least 10 points, they allowed six Hokies to score in double figures. Virginia Tech also shot the ball extremely well making 55.2% of their shots and 61.5% from three. Not only did VT shoot very well, but they were also able to get the shots they wanted and scored easily. 44 of the Hokies’ 89 points came in the paint and five players made over half their shots.
Next: Coach K Discusses Grayson Allen Suspension
Blue Devil fans don’t have too much to worry about after the team’s performance in this game. Duke was playing without one of their top players and a new group of starters that still needs to learn how to play together while integrating injured players into the rotation. Allen’s suspension was not the cause of this loss, but it did play a role in the unfamiliarity and lack of confidence for Duke. Additionally, it was their first true road game of the season against a sold-out crowd and VT is much improved this year with head coach Buzz Williams leading the program in the right direction.
Duke Men’s Basketball will be back in action on January 4th when they host Georgia Tech in their first home conference game. The Yellow Jackets are also improved this season and will be coming to Durham off an upset over No. 9 UNC earlier today.