The Duke basketball program improved to 3-0 on the young season after taking down Army in West Point on Veterans' Day. The legendary Mike Krzyzewski was in attendance at his alma mater, and it was a tight contest for about 12 minutes, until the Blue Devils completely took over to earn a 114-59 win. As is with every game, Duke fans learned a ton about this group as they get more minutes together under their belts. The Blue Devils have one more buy game against Indiana State before their second marquee contest of the season, as Duke will take on No. 25 Kansas at Madison Square Garden next Tuesday.
4 crucial observations from the Duke basketball win over Army
1. Dame Sarr is quickly developing into a stud
Through Countdown to Craziness and Sarr's limited exhibition minutes due to injury, the 6'8" wing certainly looked like he was getting thrown around some by the bigs at just 190 pounds. However, with each game this season, the Italian wing has only gotten better and better. Sarr came into Durham as a potential team leader with elite outside shooting, and he's starting to learn exactly what his role is. Against Army, Sarr tallied a team-high 19 points to go along with three steals on 6-of-8 (75%) shooting from the field and 3-of-5 (60%) shooting from three. The wing is a tenacious defender on the perimeter with active hands and thrives in catch-and-shoot situations from the corner, especially in transition.
2. Duke is the best all-around defensive team in the country
Duke currently ranks sixth at KenPom in adjusted defensive efficiency, but there might not be a team in the nation that plays more intense, more connected defense on every single possession. Head coach Jon Scheyer prides his squads on defensive length and versatility, as the Blue Devils can switch almost everything, making life extremely difficult for the Black Knights. Duke limited Army to 30.9% shooting from the field and 24.5% shooting from three, while forcing 17 turnovers and only allowing seven free throw attempts to the Black Knights all game long. Duke hasn't allowed any of its three opponents so far to shoot even 33% from the field as a team, and with elite defenders constantly all over the floor, the Blue Devils will be a nightmare for teams to game plan for.
3. The free throw line will be one of Duke's biggest advantages this season
Duke is shooting 77.2% from the charity stripe as a team so far this season, and has used it to its advantage in each contest. The Blue Devils went 24-of-29 (82.8%) from the line against Army while only letting Army take seven free throws, of which it made five. On the season, the Blue Devils are +43 against their opponents in made free throws and +51 in free throw attempts. Duke has done an outstanding job of playing elite defense without fouling, and its ability to knock down foul shots at a consistent clip will pay dividends late in tight games.
4. The wing duo of Dame Sarr and Isaiah Evans is elite
Not only did Sarr put together his best outing in a Duke uniform against Army, but Isaiah Evans was also one of the team's top performers. Evans went for 17 points, three assists, and two blocks on 5-of-10 (50%) shooting from the field and 4-of-8 (50%) shooting from beyond the arc. The wing duo of Sarr and Evans might be the best two-way wing duo in the entire nation, as both are great defenders who constantly keep defenses on their toes with their willingness to take any shot and aggressiveness in transition. Evans could be Duke's most important player this season, but the pair of him and Sarr is scary.