Beyond the arc: Duke basketball vs. UNC-Asheville

The Blue Devils (3-1) got off to a strong start in the Preseason NIT, knocking off UNC-Asheville 91-55. Freshman Jabari Parker and redshirt sophomore Rodney Hood continued to be the stars for Duke, combining to score 39 points on the day. Parker and Hood were not alone however, as Andre Dawkins scored 13 points and Semi Ojeleye and Quinn Cook each added 10 in the Blue Devil victory.

Revisiting the three keys to the game:

• Duke must rebound the ball on both ends of the floor: Duke won the rebounding battle by a wide margin—42-28. However, things were still not perfect for the Blue Devils on the glass. UNC-Asheville corralled 13 offensive rebounds. Duke simply had more rebounding opportunities thanks to the Bulldogs' 33.3 percent shooting from the floor.
• The Blue Devils must cause turnovers and put pressure on the ball: Duke put constant pressure on the ball, often pressing in the backcourt. The result was 15 UNC-Asheville turnovers. Backup guard David Robertson had particular trouble with the Blue Devil defense, committing four turnovers.
• Does Andre Dawkins continue his hot streak?: It took a little while for Dawkins to get going, but the graduate student ended the night with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting. What's more, 'Dre played impressive defense, which was not his calling card his first three years of action. Dawkins has impressed over the past two games and he looks like a major contributor moving forward.

Three key plays:

• 13:58, first half: Tyler Thornton takes a pass from Jabari Parker and knocks down the 3-pointer to extend Duke's lead to double-digits for the first time. Through the game's first six minutes it looked like the Bulldogs would give the Blue Devils a fight, but Thornton's triple started a 10-1 run that gave Duke a bit of a cushion in the first half.
• 5:52, first half: Jabari Parker makes a pass into the paint for Marshall Plumlee, who throws down a thunderous dunk. However, the officials went to the monitors and assessed a flagrant foul to Parker, as his elbow connected with the head of a Bulldog player. The foul set off a run by Rodney Hood, who scored seven unanswered points—including a crowd-pleasing dunk of his own—to stretch Duke's lead to 44-24.
• 12:40, second half: With the ball loose on the floor, Semi Ojeleye dives to the ground to poke the ball away from the UNC-Asheville player. Quinn Cook takes the ball down court and lobs up an alley-oop for Jabari Parker, who puts in the reverse slam to give Duke a 67-40 advantage.

Three key stats:

• Semi Ojeleye goes 2-for-2 on 3-pointers: Ojeleye is a big body and a terrific athlete, which is why he got early minutes Monday night. The 3-point shooting is more of a bonus than anything else. If Ojeleye emerges as a legitimate option from beyond the arc, he makes this Blue Devil team that much more intimidating.
  
• Jabari Parker commits six turnovers: There is no doubt Parker is an exceptional basketball player, but he has had some decision-making issues on his passes. On multiple occasions Parker tried to squeeze passes into tight spaces, resulting in turnovers. Parker's decision-making will improve with more games played, but it's worth monitoring for now.
• Duke shoots 73.1 percent from the free throw line: The Blue Devils' free throw shooting Monday was the best it has been all season. After shooting a paltry 57.1 percent against Kansas, Duke has shot 70.8 and 73.1 percent in its last two games. Improved shooting from the charity stripe will go a long way toward securing victories against the elite teams in the NCAA.

And the Duke game ball goes to...Rodney Hood
Jabari Parker played an incredible game, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in just 19 minutes, but his six turnovers combined with Hood's hot streak in the first half gives Hood the game ball. The Mississippi State transfer put the team on his back after Parker was given a flagrant foul, scoring seven unanswered points to put the Blue Devils firmly ahead for the remainder of the game.

And the UNC-Asheville game ball goes to...Sam Hughes
Hughes had scored a total of 10 points in three games before Monday's contest at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Against Duke, Hughes poured in 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting, and added three rebounds and four steals. Hughes was one of just two Bulldogs in double-figures Monday.