Stock Up, Stock Down from another blowout win for Duke in ACC play
Tre Jones
Tre Jones proved to the world that he is the best guard in the country on Saturday night.
Jones finished the night with 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting and 3-of-4 from 3-point range in addition to his three rebounds, five assists, and four steals.
To go along with his outstanding offense, Jones was also at his peak defensive self, holding star Wake Forest guard, Brandon Childress scoreless, missing all six of his shot attempts.
Pair Saturday’s performance with Wednesday’s win over Georgia Tech as Tre Jones was named as the ACC Co-Player of the Week and the sophomore is just hitting his stride at the perfect time for the Blue Devils to reach its ultimate goal.
Joey Baker
Joey Baker finally broke out of his shooting slump on Saturday night, making 4-of-8 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point range, finishing with 11 points in 17 minutes off the bench.
Since exploding for 22 points against Wofford on December 19, Baker had not scored more than seven points in a game and went scoreless in his last game against Georgia Tech.
Baker was inserted in the starting lineup against the Yellow Jackets and only played in four minutes.
If Joey Baker can find that elite level shooting stroke and bottle it up for the remainder of the season, Duke will hit it a new offensive peak, one that many teams are unable to stop.
Jordan Goldwire
After playing 37 minutes against Georgia Tech, Jordan Goldwire was placed in the starting lineup for the Duke Blue Devils and the junior guard responded.
Goldwire logged a team-high 30 minutes on Saturday night, and not only did he raise the level of his game with his defense, but he also did it with his offense.
In Duke’s victory, Goldwire racked up ten points, two rebounds, six assists, and one steal while making 4-of-6 from the field and 1-of-2 from 3-point range.
The emergence of Jordan Goldwire has been so critical for Duke this season because not only does it create the best defensive backcourt in the country with Tre Jones, but it also allows Mike Krzyzewski to give Jones a rest with the tough minded junior.
Cassius Stanley
As strange as it sounds and as much as his leaping ability would disagree, Cassius Stanley is flying under the radar this season.
Stanley went for 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting against Wake Forest while accumulating four rebounds, one assist, and two steals.
The high-flying guard has the ability to shoot out of a cannon at any time, and that has a lasting impact not only on Duke but also the opponents who have to try and match up with the freshman from Los Angeles.