Duke basketball’s three biggest needs after fluke against Spartans

Duke basketball needs more of Jordan Goldwire

As the leader of this Duke basketball squad, combo guard Jordan Goldwire must step up as the source of energy for his team. Toward the end of the loss to Michigan State, we caught a glimpse of what he is so very capable of.

It seems that over his years at Duke, Goldwire’s confidence has grown little by little. However, it hasn’t grown enough to make an impact on the team’s performance as a whole. As this is his last year to do so, the senior needs to quickly figure out how to step up for his team.

We know he can provide this energy. In Duke’s unbelievable comeback win during his sophomore season against Louisville, Goldwire made many of the defensive plays that gave the Blue Devils back-to-back scoring possessions. Aside from his defensive capabilities, we know he can score as well.

Goldwire made four of his last five shots under pressure, but they were put up in the final minutes of the game, including a three from near the logo in the last few seconds that supported the amount of range that he carries.

The problem seems to be a lack of confidence throughout the game. But Goldwire exhibits a willingness to be all over the floor down the stretch when the Blue Devils need it the most. He must find a healthy balance between the two as leader of this team, in order to help the group improve as a whole.