Duke basketball’s three biggest needs after fluke against Spartans

Three needs stand out following Duke basketball’s first loss of the season.

The painful performance on Tuesday night by this season’s young Duke basketball squad, resulting in a 75-69 defeat at home to Michigan State in the State Farm Champions Classic, was nothing short of disappointing. But with so much potential on the roster, there are a few needs that could clean the fundamentals right up.

No. 6 Duke, now 1-1 this season, gave No. 8 Michigan State (3-0) the program’s first regular-season win against the Blue Devils in Tom Izzo’s 26 years at the helm. Most years as of late, with a majority of young players, Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski has found a way to coach his guys to a win against the Spartans.

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It’s safe to say that this season’s team in Durham has, so far, made Coach K’s program look unrecognizable. Instead of making history on their own, the Blue Devils are giving other teams the opportunity to accomplish their own accolades based on Duke’s weaknesses.

However, anything is possible when it comes to college basketball — and Duke basketball in general. And after the poor performance against the Spartans, it is clear what all the Blue Devils need to work on moving forward, beginning with a scheduled home game against Bellarmine at 7 p.m. Friday (ACC Network Extra).

Now, let’s have a look, one at a time, at the team’s three biggest needs…