Grading each Duke basketball player’s performance in season opener

Grading the play of Duke basketball freshman Jeremy Roach

The stat line of Jeremy Roach vs. Coppin State: In 29 minutes on the court, the freshman point guard finished with six points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, zero blocks, three turnovers, and three fouls while shooting 2-for-5 from the field, including a 1-for-3 mark from the beyond the arc, plus 1-for-4 from the charity stripe.

The evaluation of Jeremy Roach vs. Coppin State: The first time that Jeremy Roach touched the ball as a Duke basketball player, which came after the under-16 timeout in the first half, the former Paul VI (Va.) five-star point guard instantly committed a turnover by throwing an easily intercepted pass that was intended for Matthew Hurt in the corner.

That turnover was symbolic of most of his minutes in the first half and symbolic of his turnover-prone team throughout the game. But Roach eventually settled down and found his groove.

Shortly after Coppin State threatened late in the second half by cutting Duke’s lead to six, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound young floor general came up big as a reliable creator in crunch time. He drilled a three. He delivered a few money passes. He snatched some tough rebounds. Had he not missed three of his four attempts from the foul line, he might have landed one spot higher on this list.

The final grade for Jeremy Roach vs. Coppin State: 86 (B)