After their win today on the road against #11 Clemson, Duke has now won its third straight overall as they look towards Louisville.
The past three games have been without star-studded freshman Marvin Bagley III, who essentially provides a scoring and defensive punch for this Blue Devils team.
He leads the charge and without his presence down low, an opportunity arises for other players to leave their mark.
We have seen just that with the likes of Grayson Allen, Wendell Carter Jr., and Gary Trent Jr. providing the scoring needed for Duke to remain successful.
In today’s matchup on the road against Clemson, Duke needed a team effort to overcome Clemson and Duke received just that from the supporting cast.
Grayson Allen led the way with 19 points and 4 steals, while Wendell Carter Jr. added a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
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A key component in this victory was how well Javin DeLaurier played in the absence of Bagley III.
DeLaurier played very well on the defensive side of the ball.
Although his offensive numbers are not impressive, his 10 rebounds and blocked shot gave Duke great energy and hustle in the win.
Once again, Coach K opted not to use his bench as Alex O’Connell, Jack White, and Marques Bolden combined for only 23 minutes and 7 points.
Perhaps Coach K will use his bench more down the stretch depending on game flow and score, but there will always be a worry for minutes played by the starters.
In this 66-57 victory win, Duke held Clemson to its second-lowest scoring output on the season.
This is a tremendous accomplishment for this young Duke team since they were struggling defensively.
Another key statistic taken from this game was how consistently Duke reached the free throw line.
They drove the ball into the lane, only attempting a mere 13 three-point attempts.
When Duke relies too heavily on the three, they struggle slowing down the tempo and playing to their strengths.
This was a big step in the right direction, but Duke must not remain satisfied. Duke must continue their momentum into Wednesday as they host Louisville.