The arrival of the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class has transformed the Duke offense into a multi-dimensional attack, one that will no longer be exclusively dependent on the scoring prowess of Jasmine Thomas.
Indeed, the addition of talented freshman at nearly every position on the court will help the Blue Devil offense generate scoring opportunities from both the post and perimeter.
“They bring versatility,” Thomas said. “They bring intensity. They are all great scorers and they make the people around them better. They just bring that much more competitiveness, and it’s going to make it hard for people to defend us.”
In the backcourt, smooth-shooting and agile freshman guards Chelsea Gray, Tricia Liston and Chloe Wells have added much needed depth for Duke. If opponents choose to crowd Thomas, then Duke can count on two other scorers being open on the perimeter.
Although the 39 attempted 3-pointers in the annual Blue-White Scrimmage seems excessive, Duke will be looking to take advantage of open looks on the perimeter.
“I think it’s not going to be so much of a focus for me to score every basket, for every possession,” Thomas said. “It’s just going to be more balanced and everybody is going to be involved.”
Nevertheless, Thomas is still the leader of the team and has only become more dangerous with the added support around her. Head coach Joanne P. McCallie said she seems to have a sixth sense on the court, which she compares with NBA great Magic Johnson’s.
“Jasmine definitely has more support relative to the perimeter,” McCallie said. “She can play the one, and does it beautifully, but she can also play the two. And I don’t think she’ll have to carry as much relative to the ball handling.”
The freshmen guards are adept ball handlers and add considerable speed to the roster. This takes some pressure off of Thomas against the press, and will also allow Duke to score more in transition.
Meanwhile, freshman Haley Peters is a good complement to senior Krystal Thomas and sophomore Allison Vernerey on the block. While Thomas is strong against her defender, usually fighting her way to the hoop to get baskets, Peters has a more versatile game, with the mid-range jumper in her arsenal.
“I’ve grown a lot in practice playing against [Thomas and Vernerey] because they’re so physical and strong,” Peters said. “I think I can help in adding a little bit of outside shooting, but Krystal can really shoot the ball from outside now.”
Thomas will be the general in the paint, and McCallie is excited for her to see more extensive playing time this year. The coach said she has evolved and conditioned herself to take on a larger role in every game and play more minutes. Thomas and the rest of the frontcourt—including Vernerey, Peters and explosive senior Karima Christmas—will be able to both overpower and out-finesse opponents down low.
“Paint shots are very important,” McCallie said. “Championships are pretty much won on paint shots.”
With their diverse lineup, the Blue Devils will have several ways to score on every possession. Their prowess on the perimeter will open up the inside for easy buckets, and if nothing is open inside, the ball can be kicked out to the shooters on the perimeter. They can outrun their opponents up and down the court, or challenge them down low.
Duke looks difficult to stop in every facet of its offense. But only time will tell if the change in Xs and Os equals a trip to the Final Four.
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