Key takeaways from Duke basketball loss to Illinois

Three takeaways stand out from Duke basketball’s second loss of the season.

The Duke basketball team, now 2-2 on the year, suffered its fourth home loss to a non-conference opponent in the last 20 years. Of those four losses, two of them have occurred this season.

There were a lot of positives and negatives to take away from Tuesday’s 83-68 loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini…

Takeaway No. 1 in Duke basketball loss: Offensive struggles

Offensively, Duke has been very poor this season. It’s one thing to put up points against Coppin State and Bellarmine, but it matters against top-tier competition. The Blue Devils lack offensive versatility, which was on full display in the loss against Michigan State and the most recent loss against Illinois.

In past years, the Blue Devils have enjoyed a go-to weapon to give them a bucket. Last season, it was Vernon Carey Jr. The season before, it was Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett. So far this season, Duke doesn’t have that. Although Matthew Hurt is the leading scorer, it’s hard for him to generate points consistently on his own.

The team’s 3-point shooting has also been an area of concern that will need to be addressed. The Blue Devils shot 5-for-22 from beyond the arc, compared to the Illini, who shot 7-for-11 from three. In today’s style of basketball, for any team with aspirations of winning a national championship, being able to consistently hit shots from three is going to be key.

There’s still plenty of time remaining in the season, but the offense in Durham currently is nothing close to pretty…