Stock up from the Duke basketball victory over Central Arkansas
Vernon Carey Jr.
The freshman from Florida has been very good in his first two games as a Duke Blue Devil, but Tuesday night might have been his best.
Vernon Carey Jr. recorded his first double-double of his college career with 17 points and ten rebounds. Carey Jr. was 8-of-10 from the field and split a pair from the free throw line.
In 20 minutes of action, the consensus No. 6 recruit in the nation also notched a steal and only fouled twice, compared to fouling out in 15 minutes in the win over Colorado State.
The big man is getting more comfortable at the collegiate level and that’s bad news for future Duke opponents as the Uber-talented freshman is getting set to unleash on his foes.
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Matthew Hurt
It took three games, but Matthew Hurt had his breakout game as a Duke Blue Devil.
While the freshman forward hit several big shots in the win over Kansas, his stat line would show that he was still trying to find his way, which is completely normal for a player through two games at the college level.
On Tuesday night, the Minnesota native looked calm, cool, and collected as he led the Blue Devils in scoring in the blowout win.
Hurt finished the night with 19 points as Mike Krzyzewski brought him off the bench, replacing him in the starting lineup with Jack White.
Matthew Hurt responded to his new role, making 7-of-11 from the field, sinking all three of his attempts from 3-point range, and making both of his free throws. In addition to his scoring, Hurt recorded four rebounds, three assists, and two steals in Duke’s win.
Like his freshman counterpart Vernon Carey Jr., when Matthew Hurt gets more familiar with the collegiate game, he is a walking bucket waiting to explode.
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Jordan Goldwire
Jordan Goldwire bursted upon the scene in Duke’s amazing comeback win against Louisville last season.
This year Goldwire is not relied upon for his offense, but rather his defense and despite starting in the season opening win over Kansas, the junior guard has not made a significant impact on a game until Tuesday.
Seeing a boost in minutes replacing Tre Jones, Goldwire thrived logging 21 minutes in which he scored nine points, but more importantly added three rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Goldwire was surprisingly efficient from the field, shooting 4-of-6 from the floor and drilling his lone 3-point attempt.
An extended absence is not expected from Jones, but if the sophomore ever gets in foul trouble or heads to the bench for any other reason, Goldwire’s performance against Central Arkansas reassures Mike Krzyzewski that he has a point guard he can trust coming off the bench.
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Javin DeLaurier
It hasn’t been the best start to the season for Javin DeLaurier as the senior captain has brought his junior year struggles into his final season in Durham.
DeLaurier found himself on the ‘Stock Down’ List for the first two games of the season, but on Tuesday he excelled on the floor, nearly reaching a double-double with 11 points and eight rebounds in just 16 minutes.
The main reason DeLaurier played 16 minutes is because the senior picked up four fouls but also had two assists, a steal, and a block.
If Javin DeLaurier is able to stay on the floor, he can be a very valuable member of this Duke team, with his experience and leadership on and off the court.
Normally only selecting three players for the ‘Stock Up’ list, four players were chosen for this edition, and it could have been much more due to the dominance of Duke’s victory.
The Blue Devils will look to keep things rolling as they head to being ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll next Monday with a matchup at home against Georgia State on Friday night (November 15) at 7:00pm EST on the ACC Network.