Ball Durham
Fansided

Stock up, stock down from Duke’s championship at the 2K Empire Classic

By Kevin Connelly

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 22: Wendell Moore Jr. #0 of the Duke Blue Devils goes in for a layup past Josh LeBlanc #23 of the Georgetown Hoyas during the second half of their game at Madison Square Garden on November 22, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 22: Wendell Moore Jr. #0 of the Duke Blue Devils goes in for a layup past Josh LeBlanc #23 of the Georgetown Hoyas during the second half of their game at Madison Square Garden on November 22, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 22: Josh LeBlanc #23 of the Georgetown Hoyas blocks Javin DeLaurier #12 of the Duke Blue Devils shot during the second half of their game at Madison Square Garden on November 22, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 22: Josh LeBlanc #23 of the Georgetown Hoyas blocks Javin DeLaurier #12 of the Duke Blue Devils shot during the second half of their game at Madison Square Garden on November 22, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

Matthew Hurt

The superstar freshmen aren’t at Duke this year, meaning it will take time for these players to adjust to the college game.

While players like Cassius Stanley, Vernon Carey Jr., and Wendell Moore seem to be coming around, the Blue Devils are still waiting for Matthew Hurt to catch up.

Hurt tried to come on strong at the end of the Cal game, finishing with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting in 21 minutes, but the freshman from Minnesota was non-existent against Georgetown.

The 6-foot-9 forward just couldn’t match the physicality of the Hoyas, the main reason why he only played five minutes and did not score.

While it might have just been a matchup issue, Jack White filled in very nicely and gave Duke a spark defensively and on the backboards.

For Duke to cut down the nets in April, Matthew Hurt will have to reach his full potential as a lethal 3-point shooter and a dangerous weapon, so don’t give up on the freshman who has struggled through six games.

He will still play a vital role going forward this season.

Javin DeLaurier

Javin, oh, Javin.

There are some things that Javin DeLaurier does very well on the basketball court. His effort and energy are unmatched. He’s also a very good, and tenacious rebounder and he’s excelled in taking charges, but when it comes to defending without fouling and on offense, he’s still al work in progress.

The senior captain grabbed six rebounds in the win over California but only scored four points on 1-of-3 shooting and 2-of-4 from the free throw line.

Against a big and physical Georgetown team, the senior from Virginia struggled, fouling out after playing 13 minutes, missing all four of his shot attempts but he did grab three rebounds and record three steals.

Javin DeLaurier is a leader on this team and in his first three seasons with the Blue Devils he has gotten better as the year progressed and the same should be expected of him this season, but as a senior fans are expecting more but the Blue Devils are more than capable in the front-court as he gets his footing early in the season.

Alex O’Connell

Alex O’Connell just couldn’t get his shot to fall in Madison Square Garden on Thursday and Friday night.

The junior guard was 1-of-6 against Cal, although the one was a vicious slam dunk, but he was 0-of-4 from 3-point range. With just two points and four rebounds in 16 minutes, things didn’t get much better on Friday night.

O’Connell failed to score in Duke’s win over Georgetown, playing just four minutes and missing both shots he took.

Alex O’Connell is a proven 3-point shooter and while his defense does need some work, it’s pivotal for him to knock down his shots once he gets on the floor.

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