CHICAGO - Last night against Michigan State, the only thing Duke had to fear was Duke itself.
Over the first three minutes and eight seconds of the game, the Blue Devils shut out MSU 13-0 by dominating every facet of the game. It looked as though the game could be a blowout early. But Duke was simply unable to put the Spartans away due to a turnover prone offense that kept Michigan State hanging around till the final minutes of a game that Duke could just have easily have won by 15 or more.
In all, the Blue Devils gave up the ball 21 times on turnovers. For a team with a championship vision for the '98-'99 campaign, the performance left some question marks which Duke will have to answer as ACC play opens this weekend.
The Blue Devils built their lead up to 17 points in the first half by shooting the lights out, protecting the ball and using a tenacious defense. Midway through the first half, Duke led 26-9, having turned the ball over only three times while forcing six turnovers from the Spartans.
Over the next ten minutes, however, it appeared Christmas was coming early for MSU, as Duke was offering plenty of gifts. The Blue Devils coughed the ball up nine times to the Spartans' three, resulting in an 18-9 MSU run that cut Duke's
"We were a little more careless with the ball in the first half," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Both teams played very physical basketball.... Michigan State is very strong."
MSU shot just 35.5 percent in the first half, while the Blue Devils shot 70 percent, yet Duke could muster just a 9 point lead. Twelve first half Duke turnovers were a big part of the reason that the Blue Devils could not slam the door on the Spartans.
"They turned up their defense," said forward Chris Carrawell, who was himself responsible for five turnovers during the game. "They play hard on the defensive end. We got on them early, then they got on us."
This is not the first game for the Blue Devils in which turnovers plagued the team. In Duke's first two games, the team combined for 40 turnovers. The fact that the Blue Devils were matched up against weaker opponents helped to shield the fact that Duke had a problem giving the ball away. Against a top-10 team, the problem was exposed in a much stronger light, and turnovers nearly cost the Blue Devils a pivotal victory.
Ironically, what kept Duke in the lead for much of the game was Michigan State's willingness to give the ball right back. Five times, the Spartans followed a Duke turnover with one of their own on the very next possession. While the Blue Devils had 21 turnovers during the game, MSU countered with 20, which effectively neutralized an area the Spartans could have exploited far more. In a game in which the lead was down to three points with only three minutes left, this was a critical factor in Duke's ability to withstand MSU's charge.
While many people served notice to Duke's experience, it must be remembered that this is still, at heart, a young team, and turnovers are a part of the growing process a team must endure. But if the Blue Devils want to compete with the nation's elite this season, the offense must come together soon.
"That's something we have to work on," said Elton Brand, who led the team with six turnovers. "It's still early. We have to gel as a team. We're still trying to work on our motion offense. We need to work on the glitches."
As Duke enters the heart of its schedule, it will be playing tenacious teams which will be looking to feast on those glitches. Against teams with more composure than the Spartans, this could result in key losses for the Blue Devils. While Duke got away this time, next time the Blue Devils' opponent might not be willing to give the gifts back.
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