There were not many positives to take in the most recent Duke basketball loss.
Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke basketball team suffered yet another frustrating loss in which the same issues presented themselves once again.
In their prior three losses, the Blue Devils were hurt by slow starts, poor shooting, and the inability to hit the clutch shot to try and propel themselves over the hill and take the lead from once a double-digit deficit.
Each aspect was on display to plague Duke once again on Tuesday night.
The Blue Devils shot 38.6-percent from the floor (27-of-70), 28.6-percent from 3-point range (8-of-28), and 57.9-percent from the free throw line (11-of-19).
ALSO READ: History made in Duke loss to Pittsburgh
Ironically enough, Duke made more field goals (27-to-24) and 3-pointers (8-to-7) than Pittsburgh but still lost, 79-72.
However, the major discrepancy was at the free throw line as the Panthers were 24-of-37 from the charity stripe, making more free throws than the Blue Devils had attempted.
Every player for Duke who stepped on the floor recorded at least one foul, with the exception of DJ Steward, as point guard Jeremy Roach and forward Jalen Johnson both fouled out for the Blue Devils.
Duke basketball continues to make the same mistakes
The offense is stagnant, the defense is confused, and the players fail to rise to the occasion.
Rinse and repeat.
Only two players for Pittsburgh scored at least 10 points, Justin Champagnie (31 points) and Au’Diese Toney (22 points), while the rest of the team combined to score 26 points.
ALSO READ: Duke star Grayson Allen drills game-winning shot for Grizzlies
Champagnie torched Duke from the field, making 12-of-15 shots, while Toney lived at the free throw line, sinking 13-of-17 attempts despite a 4-of-13 shooting night from the floor.
Justin Champagnie was firmly in the race for the ACC Player of the Year Award prior to Tuesday’s matchup with Duke, and his outing against the Blue Devils only strengthens his case for that prestigious honor. The Blue Devils could not find a way to slow him down.
With that being said, we enter another edition of ‘Stock Up, Stock Down’.
Duke basketball players who improved their stock against Pittsburgh
Jalen Johnson
Perhaps the only positive that comes out of Tuesday night’s game is the full return of Jalen Johnson.
Johnson played four minutes in Duke’s loss to Virginia Tech last week after returning from a foot injury but appeared to be fully healthy for the Blue Devils against Pittsburgh.
The five-star freshman forward was the sole reason why his team did not lose by 30 points, and once Duke was down by 15 points in early in the second half, the Wisconsin native took it upon himself to will the Blue Devils back into the game.
Jalen Johnson ultimately fouled out with just over two minutes remaining, which ended any threat Duke had at completing the comeback because the forward was the only source of offense the team had.
Johnson ended his night with 24 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, four blocks, and two steals on 8-of-14 shooting from the floor and made his only attempt from 3-point range.
Seeing more of a healthy Jalen Johnson for the remainder of the season will be the one positive for the Blue Devils as Duke must now fight its way into the NCAA Tournament.
Wendell Moore
It has been feast or famine for Wendell Moore this season, but Tuesday night was a very good showing from the sophomore.
Moore, coming off the bench, was active on both ends of the floor and finished with 15 points, four rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
While the numbers do not jump off the box score, it was Moore’s efficiency from the field that was the most impressive, shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point range.
Perhaps Wendell Moore has played his way back into the starting rotation after Tuesday night’s showing as Duke’s two best players both came off the bench in its loss.
Duke basketball players who hurt their stock against Pittsburgh
Jeremy Roach
After a handful of promising games and growth on the court, Jeremy Roach just didn’t have it on Tuesday night for the Blue Devils.
The freshman point guard missed perimeter shots, shots at the rim, and everything in between against Pittsburgh.
Roach also fouled out in the closing minutes, ending his evening with 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 38 minutes on 5-of-16 shooting from the field. He missed all seven of his 3-point attempts and went 1-of-4 from the free throw line, in addition to his four turnovers.
Hopefully, the poor performance is just a rare occurrence for Jeremy Roach as he looked like he was emerging as a reliable scoring threat for Duke in ACC play.
DJ Steward
Another freshman guard that has his peaks and valleys is DJ Steward, and the shooting guard is in the midst of another shooting slump.
After his 21-point outing against Wake Forest, Steward has struggled shooting from the floor. That continued on Tuesday night against Pittsburgh with only six points on 2-of-8 shooting, 2-of-7 from three-point range.
The Chicago native also added four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block in the loss.
With Jalen Johnson back in the fold, more defenses are going to focus on him and Matthew Hurt, allowing space for players like Steward and Roach to operate, and they must capitalize on the opportunities that present themselves.
Patrick Tape
It’s very clear that Mike Krzyzewski does not trust freshmen Mark Williams and Henry Coleman or does not think they are ready for ACC-level basketball.
With foul trouble on the roster on Tuesday night, Patrick Tape was given an opportunity to try and push himself into the rotation off the bench, but he could not convert any of his three chances at the rim. He also turned the ball over twice and picked up two fouls in his 10 minutes on the court.
None of Duke’s three additions to its frontcourt are filling the shoes of Vernon Carey Jr., Javin DeLaurier, or Jack White, and the three current Blue Devils could all find themselves on the outside of the rotation during the late stages of the regular season.