Bench Play a Difference Maker

In a tournament that was played on a basketball court resembling a NASCAR stock car with its copious advertisements, the Blue Devils proved to the national voters that their team is deserving of the number one ranking in the polls.

The CBE Classic brought the first real competition for Duke, who played their first games away from Cameron Indoor Stadium of the season. Although both games in the tournament resulted in wins, the competition was different. Marquette gave the Blue Devils all they could handle, while Kansas State never had a legitimate shot at winning the game, as Duke held the lead for the last 32 minutes of game play.

The paramount difference between the two games came from the play of the bench players. Against the Golden Eagles, the bench played for a total of 50 minutes and scored 12 points, compared to 150 minutes and 70 points for the starting five. This equates to about .24 points per minute in contrast to .47 points per minute for the starters, who had to carry the load for most of the game.

The production against the Wildcats, however, was much improved, with the bench scoring 22 points in 57 minutes (.39 ppm) and the starters scoring 60 points in 143 minutes (.42 ppm). With more scoring options, the offensive attack was more balanced, allowing for a more complete team effort. The defensive output from the bench was also much improved in the second game, averaging .11 steals per minute, while the starters only had .03 steals per minute.

Another major improvement was the aggressiveness on the offensive end. One of the most successful plays the Blue Devils ran last season was the drive and kick, when a guard dribbles in to the lane and passes out to an open three-point shooter. This not only allows Duke to utilize their ability to shoot from behind the arc, but if the player driving feels he can finish than he can attack the basket. Against Marquette, the Blue Devils opted for a spread offense, swinging the ball around the arc looking for an open backdoor cut, taking away opportunities at the free throw line (only 12 attempts). In the CBE final, Duke used the drive and kick method, leading not only to a 27% efficiency increase in three-point shooting, but 19 more free throw attempts as well. This also resulted in more "and one" opportunities, including a rare four-point play from Seth Curry.

The overall size advantage has helped the Blue Devils as well. Despite a loss in average height from last year’s line up, a loss of a little over an inch, Duke has had a distinct height advantage in their early contests. The Blue Devils' starting line-up has an average height of 78.4 inches, a whole inch taller then both of the lineups the team played in Kansas City. Even the quality competition on the upcoming schedule, including contenders like Michigan State and Butler, are .8 and 2.6 inches shorter on average respectively. Only time will tell if the multiple advantages Duke has will hold up, but so far the statistics have suggested they will, and the stats don’t lie.