Duke Basketball: Player grades from exhibition win over Virginia Union

Jack White

11 points, 4-of-7 shooting, 2-of-5 from three, 4 rebounds, 3 steals

Grade: 88

In the first half, it did not seem as if White had any chance to be the top reserve. But the 6-foot-6 junior heated up after the break and found his sweet spot from the corner, where he knocked down both of his three-pointers. He also kept his motor running on the defensive end, looking for any opportunity he had to snag a steal.

Javin DeLaurier

1 point, 0-of-1 shooting, 1-of-2 foul shots, 3 rebounds, 3 blocks

Grade: 85

Of all the Blue Devils, DeLaurier was the most relentless on the defensive end. He stepped in to draw charges — both successfully and unsuccessfully — and the 6-foot-10 junior came away with three blocks. On offense, though, he struggled to get involved in the action and show the improved stroke he had in the Blue-White scrimmage.

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Alex O’Connell

10 points, 4-of-6 shooting, 2-of-3 from three, 5 rebounds

Grade: 85

O’Connell, who showed he can shoot last season by knocking down 22 of his 45 three-point attempts, looks to have found his stroke again this season. Along with Reddish, he should come away with the highest shooting percentage from beyond the arc by the time the season is over. However, the sophomore guard still does not become as involved as fans would like to see on the defensive end of the floor.

Joey Baker

2 points, 1-of-2 shooting, 3 assists, 1 rebound

Grade: 78

Although he did not see a ton of action, Baker took advantage of the time he was on the court. He turned an offensive rebound into a strong drive and score in the second half. And in the final minute of the game, he drew a charge. If the coaching staff decides not to redshirt the freshman, expect his contributions and playing time to increase as the season progresses.

Jordan Goldwire

0 points, 0 shots, 1 steal, 1 assist, 2 minutes played

Grade: 70

It’s tough to do much of anything in only two minutes. That being said, Goldwire showed hustle in his brief stint on the floor and didn’t make any mistakes. The sophomore point guard remains a safe option off the bench when the coaches need to call his number.

Antonio Vrankovic

2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 minutes played

Grade: 70

Vrankovic did not see much action; when he was on the floor, though, he was not afraid to dive on the floor for a loose ball. His role on this team seems to mirror that of previous years: he is the last option, yet a solid option, for Coach K when he dishes out minutes to his big men.

Justin Robinson

0 points, 0-for-2 shooting, 1 block, 6 minutes played

Grade: 70

Robinson did not play a stretch long enough to find his groove. However, he did have a block that showed off his awareness and fought hard to provide some form of a spark for the team on the defensive end of the floor. On offense, however, his shot and overall skills still look like a work in progress.

Mike Buckmire

3 points, 1-of-1 shooting, 3 minutes played

Grade: 70

Had Buckmire played more than a couple of minutes — unlikely to ever happen for the sophomore walk-on — he may have received a higher score. After all, his three-pointer in the last few minutes of the game — he also handled the ball well during mop-up duty — drew a cheer from the Cameron Crazies that was nearly as loud as those that followed Williamson’s dunks.

The Blue Devils finish exhibition play on Saturday at 4 p.m. against Ferris State, the defending Division II champs.