Duke basketball: Studs and duds show new dynamic duo forming

Duke basketball players who were studs against Wake Forest

Paolo Banchero

When the Blue Devils take the floor, it seems like it is a given that Paolo Banchero will be a superstar.

That was the case on Wednesday night against Wake Forest.

Banchero led the way with 24 points, five rebounds, one assist, and one block on 11-of-23 shooting from the field and hitting 2-of-6 shots from 3-point range.

The freshman sensation is a National Player of the Year candidate and will continue to be the leader for the Blue Devils on a night in, night out basis.

AJ Griffin

Perhaps the second piece of the new dynamic duo next to Paolo Banchero is AJ Griffin.

After not playing much in the first month of the season as he continued to recover from a knee sprain suffered in offseason practice, Griffin has displayed what made him a five-star recruit and a projected top pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

AJ Griffin posted a career-high 22 points on Wednesday in his first career start.

The White Plains, New York native added four rebounds, one assist, and a block while shooting 8-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-5 from downtown.

Regardless of whether or not Griffin stays in the starting lineup, his presence on the floor is immensely valuable to the success of the Blue Devils.

Jon Scheyer

The perfect record of Jon Scheyer remains intact when he is the acting head coach.

Hopefully, Wednesday was the last time Scheyer has to be the head coach this season until he takes over for Mike Krzyzewski after the season when the Hall of Famer officially retires.

Scheyer pressed all the right buttons in the midst of the win and brings a tremendous amount of confidence heading into next season for the Blue Devils.