Duke basketball: Coach K looking for his next elite floor general

Goldwire vs. Roach, Round Two

Jordan Goldwire has played three seasons for Mike Krzyzewski in Durham and has improved his turnover numbers each year. As a Duke basketball freshman, Goldwire committed just seven turnovers in 169 minutes (0.041 turnovers per minute). In his next two seasons, the reserve committed 12 turnovers in 301 minutes (0.039) and then 28 turnovers in 747 minutes (0.037). The rising senior has proven that he can take care of the ball.

Although the incoming McDonald’s All-American has yet to dribble a college basketball, if history is our guide, Jeremy Roach may struggle mightily taking care of the rock. The last four starting freshman point guards under Krzyzewski all had higher (some significantly) turnover-per-minute ratios than Goldwire: Tre Jones (0.043) in 2018-19, Frank Jackson (0.055) in 2016-17, Derryck Thornton (0.062) in 2015-16, and Tyus Jones (0.057) in 2014-15.

While the top-ranked point guard in the state of Virginia is explosive off the dribble, he is likely to turn the ball over at a rate higher than what we have seen from Goldwire, and so the senior gets the nod here.

EDGE: Jordan Goldwire

Now, let’s look at each player’s ability to distribute the basketball…