Duke basketball: Once again, nation’s two best players are Blue Devils

Vernon Carey Jr. arrived at Duke after falling from No. 1 on the 247Sports 2019 Composite as a high school junior to No. 6 as a senior. The 6-foot-10, 270-pound boulder from South Florida — the namesake of a former NFL offensive tackle — rarely showed up as a lottery pick on 2020 mock drafts. Critics questioned his motor, his measly 7-foot wingspan, and his seemingly heavy feet.

Six games in, the criticism doesn’t even register as a whisper. Despite facing one of the most challenging schedules of any ACC team to date, Carey Jr. ranks No. 1 in the conference in field goal percentage (60.9), No. 2 in field goals (42), No. 1 in 2-point field goals (39), No. 1 in free throw attempts (39), No. 1 in offensive rebounds (20), No. 3 in total rebounds (55), and No. 4 in blocks (11). And if his number of attempts was enough to count, he’d be No. 1 in 3-point percentage (3-for-3).

Sticking with numbers, per 40 minutes, the jolly mean giant is averaging 30.6 points, 15.3 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, and 1.4 steals. In other words, if he could cut down a bit on his fouls (5.0 per 40 minutes) and find the stamina to play several minutes a game more than his current 24.0 average, then it seems he’d certainly be easily the most dominant specimen in the college game at the moment.

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As it is, though, evident in his soft touch and beyond-his-years footwork with the ball in his hands in addition to his eye for the ball and instinctive positioning when it’s not in his hands — not to mention his natural strength and horizontal athleticism — he serves as the most talented and most crucial post presence in the country right now.

As for those who need to see more than just numbers and words to recognize budding greatness, feel free to take another look at the Duke basketball beast’s diverse-attack highlights from a record-setting 31-point, 12-rebound, four-block showing against Cal last week:

And now take another look at his fourth consecutive double-double — 20 points, 10 rebounds — that came against the experienced frontcourt of Georgetown on his way to snatching the tournament’s MVP honor:

Jones and Carey Jr. represent the inside-out combo driving the No. 1 team in all the land. And with neither showing any glaring weaknesses — 3-point shooting from Jones and fouls plus a lack of assists from Carey Jr., if we’re being picky — they are not only the top such combo in the country but also the top two players, period.

Does it matter that their play is not as electrifying as that of RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson? It shouldn’t; unfortunately, though, it probably will by the time actual voting for the player of the year gets underway in a few months. But will Jones and Carey Jr. continue to consistently play this effectively? Well, that’s why they play the games: to find out.

The next chance for both Duke basketball stars to shine again will come from inside Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday at 9 p.m. against Stephen F. Austin.

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more updates, analyses, opinions, and predictions regarding the 2019-20 Duke basketball team.