Duke basketball finally put pieces together in much-needed victory

Duke basketball players who hurt their stock against Georgia Tech

Jeremy Roach

Jeremy Roach, the Duke freshman point guard, seems to be in the doghouse of Mike Krzyzewski as he was limited to just 16 minutes in the win over Georgia Tech.

After his standout performance in the loss to Virginia Tech, Roach posted 11 points in the loss to Pittsburgh and has not scored in his next two games against Louisville and the Yellow Jackets, shooting a combined 0-of-6 from the field.

It appeared as if Roach had adjusted to the learning curve of playing high-level college basketball, but now it seems the five-star prospect has hit another freshman slump in ACC play as Duke needs his explosiveness and toughness.

Wendell Moore

It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for Wendell Moore.

The sophomore got off to an awful start and seemed to turn a corner after a 25-point performance against Boston College.

Moore then totaled eight combined points over the next two games and then turned in respectable outings against Pittsburgh and Louisville.

However, against Georgia Tech, he only mustered four points on 1-of-5 shooting with four rebounds and three assists in addition to three fouls and four turnovers in 29 minutes.

Wendell Moore has the versatility to be a very good player for the Blue Devils but still lacks the consistency for a second-year leader.

Joey Baker/Jaemyn Brakefield

Junior Joey Baker and freshman Jaemyn Brakefield both had high expectations at one point in the season.

Baker, entering his junior season, was expected to make a big leap with his shooting abilities and relentless energy.

There’s no debating that Baker leaves everything on the floor, but his inability to consistently see the floor is due to his lack of made shots.

Joey Baker has made a total of seven shots in 11 games, three being three-pointers, and is shooting 25.9-percent from the floor.

Jaemyn Brakefield was a pleasant surprise after Jalen Johnson went down with an injury but has seen his minutes evaporate since Johnson’s full return.

Brakefield logged 27 minutes against Virginia Tech and has played a combined 10 minutes in the last three games.

Hopefully, these players stay ready if their number is called at some point during the remainder of the season.