A year ago, forward Amile Jefferson watched from the sidelines as a short-handed Blue Devil team used a six-man rotation for much of conference play and the NCAA tournament.
But even though the graduate student finds himself in a Duke uniform instead of street clothes this year, the Blue Devils still find themselves with depth issues.
Jefferson will look to anchor the Blue Devils down low once again when No. 5 Duke takes on Michigan State Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Blue Devils will once again be without the freshman trio of Harry Giles, Marques Bolden and Jayson Tatum and sophomore Grayson Allen is nursing a toe injury he re-aggravated Saturday against Appalachian State.
Perhaps no player knows the feeling of what it's like to be sitting helplessly on the bench more than Jefferson—who missed the majority of last season with a broken right foot after getting injured almost exactly one year ago.
“It was rough to see a team, our team, my team, my guys playing their hearts out. Winning or losing, it’s hard to be over there,” Jefferson said at the team's media day in October. “To not be able to help the team, whether it’s rebounding or talking or whatever—It’s tough any time you miss a game. One game, two games, it hurts.”
Although Duke’s second-ranked recruiting class and Allen’s National Player of the Year candidacy stole headlines during the offseason, Jefferson's steady hand has been critical for the Blue Devils (6-1). The Philadelphia native enters the game averaging 13.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game and has recorded double-doubles in three of his last four contests.
In Bolden’s absence, Jefferson and sophomore Chase Jeter have served as Duke’s only true post players. But after getting pummeled on the boards in a loss against Kansas—the Jayhawks had 18 second-chance points to the Blue Devils' two—Duke has outrebounded opponents in four consecutive games. But head coach Mike Krzyzewski's team will face another physical challenge against a Spartan team that battled well on the boards in losses against then-No. 2 Kentucky and then-No. 10 Arizona.
Michigan State (4-3) comes into Tuesday’s game in the midst of arguably the toughest nonconference schedule in the country.
After losing their first two games of the season, the Spartans went 2-1 last weekend in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament and came away with a third-place finish after beating Wichita State Sunday.
Although Michigan State has looked sloppy on offense and lost on defense at times this season, the Spartans have a mix of talented playmakers and veterans capable of challenging the Blue Devils.
“It’s a program game. Michigan State is not a team, they’re a program,” Jefferson said after Saturday's game against Appalachian State. “They have an amazing coach. They have amazing talent and a group of guys that play hard and work hard and do whatever it takes to win, and we just have to match that.”
With Allen’s injury creating some concern for Duke on offense, sophomore Luke Kennard and freshman Frank Jackson will have to continue carrying the load against for the Blue Devils. The duo has been aggressive with the ball and is capable of attacking the defenses in different ways with Kennard known for his perimeter shot and Jackson tenacious driving to the basket.
On the other end of the floor, the Blue Devils’ defense could pose big problems for a turnover-prone Michigan State team. Duke’s versatility has made it tough to score on early this season and opponents are shooting 39.8 percent from the floor against the Blue Devils.
The Spartans’ primary source of offense has been freshman Miles Bridges, who is a nightmare matchup for opponents at 6-foot-7. In addition to shooting 40.0 percent from 3-point range, the freshman is a physical presence that Jefferson and company will have to monitor on the glass and in the post.
“We’re going to have to have everyone come to play and come to rebound, come to fight, come to be Duke players on Tuesday night,” Jefferson said. “It’s going to be a big-time matchup.”
Although the national television spotlight will certainly focus on Duke’s injured freshman on the bench, Tuesday will also bring together two of college basketball’s greatest coaches in Krzyzewski and Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo.
Between the two, the coaches have accumulated 19 Final Four appearances. Although both have had their fair share of milestone victories in their illustrious careers, Krzyzewski has had Izzo’s number with a 9-1 lifetime record against the Spartans’ head man.
With Michigan State badly needing a victory to avoid a 4-4 start and the Blue Devils looking to add a key win to their resume and extend their nonconference home winning streak to 130, Tuesday’s matchup will be more than just another game even if the two coaches approach it that way.
“He and I are very, very close friends, and I admire what they do,” Krzyzewski said. “Hopefully, I won’t admire a lot of what they do on Tuesday, but we know we’re in for a big-time game, which is good. It’s how we’re going to get better.”
Hank Tucker contributed reporting.
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