The Blue Devils' new guards took center stage Wednesday night.
In Duke's 118-73 drubbing of the EA Sports All-Stars at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils tallied 35 assists and scored 36 fast-break points and did so without last year's leading scorer and National Player of the Year Candidate Monique Currie.
"The stat that stands out to me is 35 assists," head coach Gail Goestenkors said. "I think this is the best passing team we've probably ever had.... We had some nice breaks and some nice feeds inside."
Last season, point guards Emily Waner and Lindsey Harding sat on the bench as Duke struggled to fill that role. As a transfer, Waner was ineligible for one season, and Harding was suspended for the entire season for a violation of team rules. Freshman Wanisha Smith eventually took charge, but it took time for the natural two guard to adjust to the point.
The Blue Devils' guard situation is the complete opposite this season. Smith has one year under her belt, Harding and Waner are eligible, and Abby Waner, the Gatorade and McDonald's National Player of the Year, has joined her sister in Durham.
"It feels good to know that if somebody is not taking care of the basketball we can sub them out," Goestenkors said. "There are other quality players waiting to come in, whereas last year all of our players knew that if they made mistakes, they'd continue to play and wouldn't be held accountable."
None of the Blue Devil guards had to be removed because of mistakes Wednesday night. The four guards combined for 16 assists and eight steals and looked as though they had been teammates for years, routinely completing difficult fast breaks and passing patiently, waiting for an open shot or post option.
"Our team to me feels so easy to play with," Harding said. "Even though I have never played with Abby, I kind of know where she is on the floor. I know that when I'm getting the ball she's somewhere wide open."
Their most impressive play came late in the first half. Harding dove near half-court and knocked a loose ball to Smith, who was standing just outside the Duke 3-point line. Smith quickly relayed the pass and hit Abby Waner in stride near the basket. The freshman hit the layup and also drew a foul, sending the crowd of 2,581 into a frenzy as Smith and Waner celebrated.
"Overall, I was pleased with our effort," Goestenkors said. "We're doing the same things we did last year, we're just being more aggressive with what we do."
Notes:
Currie and Jessica Foley, who also sat out Wednesday, are expected to be ready for the regular season.... Forward Mistie Williams led the Blue Devils in scoring with 18 points.... Earlier in the day, the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll was released. Duke was ranked No. 2 in the country behind Tennessee.
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