Duke Basketball: Blue Devils need grit, toughness from White and Jones

Duke basketball (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Duke basketball (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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The Duke Basketball team is full of superstars and potential lottery picks, but there are two players who standout among the firepower.

Every team has its superstars, but its the play of the under the radar players who make the team truly work, and that is no different than what the Duke Blue Devils have this year with Jack White and Tre Jones.

It’s like in football, the quarterback and the skill position players get all of the accolades, but if you ask them, the offensive line should get all the credit because without them the team would be nothing.

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Well, Tre Jones and Jack White are the offensive line men of this Duke Basketball team.

What Jones and White put forth on the court is 100% effort, 100% of the time.

If Jones’ shot isn’t falling, he will be there to dish and dime to R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson. He will be there to shut down the opposing teams point guard, and he will be there to lead.

The same thing goes with Jack White.

If White can knock down some corner jump shots, that’s great, but what really matters is his how much effort he puts in on the defensive end and how tenacious he is on the backboard.

Not so much for Tre Jones because he is normally starting the fast breaks that have fans and photographers salivating, but Jack White does the little things in the game that do not show up in the highlight reel or on the box score.

Both Jack White and Tre Jones do it all for this Duke team.

White averages 7.2 points per game, but it’s not about the scoring, it’s about the 6.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game that energize the team and allow R.J. and Zion to do their thing.

Jones only averages 8.7 points per game, but when he can consistently get 3.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game, it takes the Blue Devils to a whole new level.

Tre Jones and Jack White aren’t Duke best players by any stretch of the imagination, but they are two of the most important players on the team and whenever the two are on the floor, Blue Devils fans should pay attention to the little things that they do on the floor to contribute to the success of the team.