Duke basketball success now depends on ‘Cash’ deposits

There’s no question who provided the bulk of the energy deposits for the Duke basketball program last season, and now there’s no question who the man for the job is this season.

Assuming Duke basketball freshman Cassius “Cash” Stanley brings to the table the sweet dishes he served during the first game of the season, the Blue Devils should have an electrifying answer to momentum swings all season.

Of course, the 6-foot-6, 195-pound shooting guard out of California will need to be on the floor during nail-biting moments in order to fulfill the role. But his starting gig and 30 minutes of action — second only to the 39 of point guard Tre Jones — from No. 4 Duke’s 68-66 ugly yet beautiful win over No. 3 Kansas on Tuesday night suggests playing time won’t be an issue.

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Stanley became the Manley against the Jayhawks midway through the second half, depositing a pair of lively cash-money dunks on back-to-back possessions to cap off a nine-point comeback from the Blue Devils.

Two minutes later, after Duke fell behind by four and was again letting Kansas take the wind out of its sails, Stanley once again answered the call. This time, the 20-year-old saved the day by showing off the 3-point stroke he has dramatically improved ever since recruiting experts began noting the shooting deficiency his junior year and then dropping him in prep rankings as a result (he at one time sat at No. 9 on the 247Sports 2019 Composite but finished at No. 37).

And then seven minutes after his deep swish from the corner, Stanley stepped up as the primary driver the Blue Devils had been looking for all game.

From the top of the key, with Duke trailing by two with two and a half minutes on the clock, the program’s new vertical-leap record-holder (47 inches, two higher than Zion Williamson pulled off last year) decided to boost the team’s stagnant offense on his own. Stanley split the gap between four Jayhawks, darting to the basket for an and-one layup off the glass. He drilled the free throw to give the Blue Devils a 62-61 lead. They never trailed again.

Considering the importance of Stanley’s athletically inclined contributions to the win, it’s no wonder the Duke basketball program’s official Twitter account chose highlights from the squad’s roadrunner as the three best plays from the contest:

Though Stanley is roughly 80 pounds lighter than Williamson, the previous primary electricity provider for Durham, his acrobatic delights — when leaping while in full stride — are on par. Obviously, no human will ever match the explosions or sheer force of June’s No.1 draft pick, but Duke’s current frequent flyer soars to the rim in a more poetic fashion — i.e., graceful, flowing, rhythmic, bird-like.

Plus, sticking with the admittedly unfair comparisons to Williamson, Stanley seems to possess a similar level of joy that rubs off on his teammates. Furthermore, the Blue Devils are sure to benefit between now and possibly the first Monday of April from the cheetah’s Zion-esque instinctive scampers to wherever he is needed on defense — in addition to his Flash-like appearances out of nowhere to snatch loose balls and rebounds.

But now comes the question as to whether ‘Cash’ will continue to provide sparks in times of desperation and efficient stats from start to finish (13 points against Kansas from 5-of-6 shooting, including 1-for-1 from downtown and 2-for-3 from the charity stripe, to go along with two boards, two steals, and one assist that all outweighed his lone-blemish four turnovers, which is easily forgivable for a guy making his college debut inside Madison Square Garden against a blue-blood opponent).

Well, Duke basketball fans will just have to wait for Stanley’s answers as they come.

Meanwhile, in light of Stanley’s first charming, clutch, and cloud-reaching performance in a Duke basketball jersey, it would come as a shock if “Mini Zion” did not see his second start in as many games when the Blue Devils host Colorado State for the home opener on Friday at 7 p.m. EST on the ACC Network.

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