The best Duke basketball starting lineup without Jalen Johnson
By Matt Giles
Which five Duke basketball players deserve starting nods versus Notre Dame?
Wednesday night will provide three new notable tests for the 2020-21 Duke basketball squad.
First, the 9 p.m. tipoff (ESPN) in South Bend will mark the first road contest for No. 21 Duke (2-2). Plus, the game at unranked Notre Dame (2-2) is the first of the ACC variety for the young bunch. Finally, as the program announced on Tuesday evening, Jalen Johnson is now out indefinitely with a foot injury, so this will be the first time the Blue Devils take the floor without their top freshman.
Naturally, seeing that Johnson and sophomore forward Matthew Hurt are the only two Blue Devils who have started every game thus far, Duke’s starting lineup against the Fighting Irish will also be a first.
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Yet even if Johnson was healthy and set to be in action, it still would not have been a surprise at all if head coach Mike Krzyzewski rolled out his fifth combination of starters in as many games. Besides, as alluded to above, Hurt — the roster’s leading scorer by more than seven points per game — is currently the only active Blue Devil who has earned a full-time starting gig.
That said, based on recent performances and strategical advantages, the following five — including Hurt, of course — would serve as the ideal starters with Johnson sidelined. Now, let’s unveil those five, one at a time, beginning at point guard…