It was not a good night for a handful of Duke basketball players against Michigan State.
There was not one thing the Duke basketball team could hang its hat on in defeat against Michigan State on Tuesday night.
The Blue Devils could not shoot, pass, dribble, or defend in their 75-69 loss, not exactly a winning formula, is it?
Duke struggled in its season-opening victory over Coppin State, but many teams have struggled early in this strange season. Unfortunately for Mike Krzyzewski, he ran into a veteran team that his close friend Tom Izzo has, and veteran teams have performed better thus far in the year.
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Krzyzewski made a predictable change in the starting lineup, placing Jordan Goldwire and Joey Baker on the bench in favor of Jeremy Roach and DJ Steward.
It did not go well. Neither player performed up to his expectations or standards set in the opener, and only Goldwire performed well in his new role off the bench, something he has grown accustomed to in his previous three years in Durham.
What to make of the Duke basketball loss against Michigan State
After having high expectations for the 2020-21 squad after individual performances on Saturday afternoon, everyone was brought back down to earth and hit with the realization that this team has a long way to go before crowning itself champions.
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With that being said, there were also several Blue Devils who saw their stocks plummet as a result of the loss and some Duke players who actually played well and should see a boost in minutes going forward.
After such a negative night, we will be positive and start with our regular ‘Stock Up’ column.
Duke basketball players who saw their stock rise against Michigan State
Jaemyn Brakefield
Coming off the bench in just his second game, Jaemyn Brakefield was arguably Duke’s best player on Tuesday night.
The four-star freshman saw 15 minutes and added 11 points, four rebounds, and one assist on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, 1-of-3 from 3-point territory, and 2-of-4 from the free throw line.
By no means did Brakefield demonstrate that the Blue Devils should run their unorganized semblance of an offense through him. But he proved that he can bring energy off the bench, and that should be rewarded and commended for a team that could not match the energy level of the Spartans.
Expect for the Jackson, Mississippi native to see more minutes on Friday night against Bellarmine.
Jordan Goldwire
As Duke tried to mount a comeback late in the second half, Jordan Goldwire was the one behind the charge for the Blue Devils.
The senior point guard provided a spark with his defense, which turned into easy looks at the basket, the only way Duke was able to score in the final 20 minutes.
Despite his lackluster performance against Coppin State, Goldwire needs to be in the starting lineup because his defense and energy are unmatched on this team, and he might be the one stepping up to lead the Blue Devils, who looked leaderless until the final eight minutes.
Jordan Goldwire finished his night with 10 points, five rebounds, one assist, and two steals on 4-of-7 shooting and a perfect 2-of-2 from 3-point range.
Matthew Hurt
Matthew Hurt was the most aggressive he’s ever been in his time at Duke on Tuesday night.
Granted, the forward still has his issues with defensive positioning, but the weight he put on in the offseason gives him the ability to battle down low for rebounds, and he was diving on the floor multiple times for loose balls.
The sophomore forward finished with a team-high 21 points and 13 rebounds on 6-of-14 shooting from the floor, 1-of-3 from 3-point range, and he made all eight of his free throw attempts.
As stated, the 6-foot-9 forward has room to improve on defense, but his expanded offensive game is a positive sign for Duke going forward.
Duke basketball players who saw their stocks fall against Michigan State
Wendell Moore
There’s really no way to sugarcoat this or say this in a nice fashion, but Wendell Moore was awful on Tuesday night against Michigan State.
After a credible opening game on Saturday, Moore showed flashes of what he could be in Durham as a sophomore but then put forth his worst game as a member of the Blue Devils against the Spartans.
Moore played for 30 minutes and only scored four points, all coming on free throws early in the first half.
The North Carolina native was 0-of-9 from the floor, missing six 3-point attempts.
Given his shooting track record, Wendell Moore should never attempt six 3-pointers in a close game, especially when he doesn’t have a made basket from the field.
Moore was shooting iso jumpers from beyond the arc, ala Jayson Tatum, except he is nowhere close to the shooter the former Blue Devil is.
The most concerning part of Moore continuing to chuck up shots is that he is a veteran on this team, albeit a sophomore, but that’s still being a veteran in the college basketball world.
Moore has the ability to be a great player for Duke. He still needs to put it all together as he progresses in his second season.
Jeremy Roach
Jeremy Roach was rewarded for his afternoon against Coppin State, where he posted six points, four rebounds, five assists, and two steals, with a spot in the starting five against Michigan State, and it did not go well at all.
Roach was overmatched by the veteran guards the Spartans possess and was constantly blown by on the defensive end.
The freshman guard fouled out after committing three turnovers in 26 minutes and went 2-of-4 from the field with six points, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
In his first battle at the collegiate level, Roach failed, but he cannot dwell on it because All-American Ayo Dosunmu comes to Cameron Indoor Stadium next week.
DJ Steward
After leading the Blue Devils in scoring in the opener, DJ Steward was as cold on Tuesday as he was hot on Saturday.
Another player that was inserted in the starting lineup after his performance, like Moore, all Steward’s points came at the free throw line after going 0-for-7 from the field and 0-for-3 from 3-point range.
Steward is a shooter who will have his days where he is hot and cold, but unfortunately, the five-star freshman was way off with his shot against Michigan State in his first true test at Duke.
Duke will have to shake off the defeat and get back on the court on Friday night (7:00 pm EST, ACC Network Extra) against Bellarmine (0-0) in Durham.