Duke basketball: Is there cause for concern after latest victory?
Is there any cause for concern within the Duke basketball program after its most recent victory?
A win is a win, but should fans worry about the Duke basketball victory over Boston College?
The Eagles (2-8, 0-4 ACC) might be the worst team in the ACC this season and raced out to a 16-point lead inside Cameron Indoor Stadium late in the first half.
Yes, the No. 21 Blue Devils (4-2, 2-0 ACC) were able to rally to cut into the lead before halftime, eventually making plays down the stretch to win, 83-82.
Issues on the defensive side of the ball that plagued Duke in its previous two losses against No. 8 Michigan State and No. 6 Illinois were on display again, and that could raise eyebrows going forward and give supporters of the program cause for concern going forward.
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Boston College got any shot it wanted and scored 82 points, the second-most points this season for Jim Christian‘s team, after scoring 93 in a loss against St. John’s earlier this season.
The Eagles did not see any production from star Wynston Tabbs, who scored only six points off the bench, and starter Makai Ashton-Langford, who did not play in Wednesday’s meeting.
But Boston College still shot 56.1-percent from the floor (32-of-57) and 56.3-percent from 3-point range (9-of-16).
DeMarr Langford Jr., Rich Kelly, and CJ Felder all set season-highs in points, and if the Eagles had not only made 9-of-13 free throws, Duke might have been handed its third home loss of the season.
Reasoning for poor Duke basketball performance
Granted, the Blue Devils had not played for 21 days because of their holiday break and two postponed games because of COVID-19 protocols within the opponents’ program, so rust was expected.
However, the rust was too heavy for the liking of acting head coach Jon Scheyer, who filled in for Mike Krzyzewski as the 73-year-old remains sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols and quarantine regulations.
Nevertheless, we enter another edition of ‘Stock Up, Stock Down’ following the victory over Boston College.