Adjustments - and reinforcements - should be coming for Duke heading into its 2nd round matchup against TCU on Saturday.
Jon Scheyer has some things to get fixed before Saturday's matchup against the Horned Frogs. And the Blue Devils will hopefully have the services of sophomore center Patrick Ngongba moving forward. That won't be an adjustment, but it is a major chess piece for Duke's hopes of making a run back to the Final Four and competing for a National Championship.
In a brutal region, Duke can ill-afford another performance like the one it gave against Siena on Thursday. Another game like that, regardless of who it comes against, and the Blue Devils will be headed back to Durham with bitter disappointment.
What can Scheyer do to get the Blue Devils back on track?
Confidence is waning in Duke's ability to win the title, but all hope is not yet lost.
The adjustments Jon Scheyer has to make for Duke to be a contender again
1. Even if Patrick Ngongba plays, maintain a 7-man rotation
And the odd man out has to be sophomore Darren Harris, who appeared on the verge of a late-season breakout but has come back down to earth with brutal performances recently for Duke. In just nine minutes against Siena, Harris didn't score and went 0-of-3 from the field.
Pert Bart Torvik's advanced box score, Harris was a team-worst -18.6 in BPM and was bad on both ends of the court.
If Harris is hitting three-pointers, he can be a helpful player. If he's not, and he's 2 for his last 12, then it's hard to justify any minutes for him going forward, especially if Ngongba is good to go on Saturday.
2. Run the offense through Cayden - not Cameron - Boozer
Freshman Cayden Boozer is making the most of his opportunity in the starting lineup with Caleb Foster out. He's now stacked three consecutive brilliant performances together for the Blue Devils.
Per Bart Torvik, Boozer was Duke's best player both offensively and defensively against Siena. He scored 19 points and dished out five assists without a turnover. His brother led the team in scoring with 22 points, but he turned the ball over five times as Siena's defense collapsed in the paint and made life frustrating for the soon-to-be Top 3 NBA Draft pick.
Cayden has nine assists to just two turnovers in the last two games, and his decision-making has been critical in two close wins for the Blue Devils.
With all the focus on Cameron, it's time to let Cayden cook. And perhaps increased attention on him will open things up for the National Player of the Year.
3. Unleash Patrick Ngongba
March Madness is not the time to play it safe. If Ngongba is able to play without doing any long-term damage to his foot on Saturday against TCU, Scheyer has to insert him into the starting lineup.
No more waiting. Scheyer dodged a bullet on Thursday with the Blue Devils still finding a way to win without the sophomore center. His decision to buy him a couple of extra days of rest worked out, but it nearly blew up in his face.
Duke needs Ngongba back. And it needs him now.