After a loss to the Virginia Tech Hokies on Tuesday night, the Duke Basketball team returns to Durham needing to rest and reset before the next stretch of games.
It was the toughest six game stretch that any team will face in the regular season this year and after stumbling in the final three games, all without Zion Williamson, the Duke Blue Devils need to rest, reset, and get healthy for the final three games of the regular season.
The three week grueling stretch started in Virginia on February 9 and ended in Virginia on February 26.
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Duke rattled off wins at then No. 3 Virginia, the largest comeback victory at then No. 16 Louisville, a home win over North Carolina State, but then Zion Williamson suffered a Grade 1 knee sprain in a loss to North Carolina.
With Williamson sidelined, the Blue Devils would respond with a win in the Carrier Dome against Syracuse, but would fall on the road to Virginia Tech to close out the brutal stretch of games.
In the loss to the Hokies, R.J. Barrett was suffering from a stomach ailment, Cam Reddish took a very hard fall on his back, and Jack White and Javin DeLaurier were banged up at some point in the contest, despite all four players finishing out the game.
Those injuries and ailments in addition to the knee sprain of Zion Williamson, the perfect prescription for Duke is some time to rest, recover, and two home games against Miami and Wake Forest before heading to Chapel Hill to close the regular season.
Mike Krzyzewski said it best when addressing the media after Tuesday’s loss:
Coach K: “They played hard, we played hard - you know we need to get well, we’re at the end of this energy cycle - my guys played hard - I have no complaints with my team. We just need to get refreshed - get healthy - VT hit some big shots.” pic.twitter.com/kHXfyeYrHf
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) February 27, 2019
Tre Jones has played 40 minutes in five of the last six games. R.J. Barrett has played 40 minutes in three of those games, 37 minutes in two of them, and 36 minutes last night, and Cam Reddish is also over 35 minutes in those six games.
Whether Zion Williamson returns in these next two homes games should not be a factor, the Blue Devils need to handle business against Miami and Wake Forest in Cameron Indoor Stadium early, so the starters can get more rest in the second half.
With the revenge game in Chapel Hill exactly ten days away, the start of the ACC Tournament (for Duke) I 15 days away, and depending where the Blue Devils get placed, the NCAA Tournament starting in 22 or 23 days Duke needs to be locked in and rested for the most important and stressful time of the year.