Beyond the arc: Duke basketball vs. Wake Forest

It was not nearly as exciting as the last time the Blue Devils took the court in an overtime thriller against Syracuse, but Duke's first game following the close loss at the Carrier Dome went as well for the Blue Devils as they could have hoped for. In an 83-63 victory No. 11 Duke (18-5, 7-3 in the ACC) vanquished ACC-opponent Wake Forest (14-9, 4-6 in the ACC) with ease. Jabari Parker, Rasheed Sulaimon and Andre Dawkins carried the majority of the scoring load for the Blue Devils, combining for 67 of Duke's 83 points. The Blue Devils capitalized on 10 steals and 19 Demon Deacon turnovers to put the game out of reach for Wake Forest towards the end of the first half.

Revisiting the three keys to the game:

• Duplicate Saturday's energy and effort: After the first 13 minutes in which Wake Forest either held a slim lead or trailed by merely a couple points, the Blue Devils kicked it into high gear going on an 18-1 run to close out the first half. For the remainder of the contest Duke kept up the defensive intensity and effort on offense, forcing nearly 20 turnovers in the game. Allowing 12 offensive rebounds for the Demon Deacons is a problem the Blue Devils will need to address moving forward, but the effort certainly appears to be there from a defensive standpoint.
• Get Quinn Cooking Again: For the second time in three games, Quinn Cook came off the bench for Duke and was ineffective in 18 minutes of play. Though the junior guard, who usually handles the point guard role, managed seven points, he had as many turnovers as assists while shooting 2-of-7 from the field. The last time Cook played 18 minutes in a game came last year in a blowout in which the guard was not needed to play extensive minutes. Rasheed Sulaimon did a commendable job filling in for Cook at the point, finishing with 19 points and five assists.
• Get Stops: Wake Forest, which has only scored 70 points in two ACC contests this year, was held to 63 in the contest. Duke's defensive intensity was clearly evident with 10 steals and 19 Demon Deacon turnovers. Though the Blue Devils were out-rebounded in the game and allowed 12 offensive rebounds to Wake Forest, the high amount of giveaways allowed for Duke to hold the Demon Deacons to fewer than 70 points. Amile Jefferson had a quiet game following his standout performance against Syracuse as Jabari Parker led the Blue Devils with eight rebounds.

Three key plays:

• 6:02, first half: Jabari Parker hit a turn around jumper with Duke trailing 28-26, erasing Wake Forest's slim lead. Duke would not trail for remainder of game going on an 18-1 run to end the half.

• 1:53, first half: Tyler Thornton drained a three that shifted the momentum of the game right before an official timeout and giving Duke a double-digit, 41-29 lead. The triple came in the midst of the Blue Devils late first-half run and solidified Duke's lead heading into the break.

• 17:25, second half: Thornton grabbed a steal following a pair of free throws for Jabari Parker and dished the outlet pass to Rasheed Sulaimon for a fast-break layup. This bucket was the first in a series of four straight easy hoops at the rim for Duke on consecutive possessions from Sulaimon and Jabari Parker that built the lead to 18 points early in the second half.

Three key stats:

• Quinn Cook records seven points, two assists, two turnovers in 18 minutes: It was a toss up between Rasheed Sulaimon's stand out performance starting at guard or Cook's abysmal performance off the bench. Cook needs to resolve his struggles on the court because he has proven to be a clutch player late in games and usually has a steady hand in not committing many turnovers. Recent trends have proven otherwise for the junior guard, but moving forward Duke will need him to play well in order to defeat top opponents like Syracuse.
• Duke forces 10 steals and 19 Wake Forest turnovers: When the Blue Devils can get stops and cause turnovers that are converted into points, Duke will likely succeed against any opponent. What the numbers indicate is that when the Blue Devils play hard defensively, they have the ability to force the opposing team to make mistakes and then to press the advantage by scoring off those turnovers.
• 17 assists for the Blue Devils: Even without great production from Quinn Cook— who leads the ACC in assists this season running the point—Duke shared the ball well, totaling 17 assists in the game. Led by Sulaimon and Thornton who each had five, the Blue Devils relied on moving the ball to create easy shot opportunities and to outlet the ball quickly into the front court following a defensive stop or steal.

And the Duke game ball goes to... Rasheed Sulaimon.

Jabari Parker has been consistent, and to a certain extent this season so has Andre Dawkins contributing off the bench, but the x factor for Duke in the preseason and it seems like potentially in the postseason is Sulaimon. His struggles were well documented early in the season, but to see him playing the most minutes of any Duke player and scoring 19 points with five assists while handling the ball primarily as point guard is promising. If Sulaimon continues this production and shooting efficiency—especially from beyond the arc—Duke will continue to compete with the top teams in the country.

And the Wake Forest game ball goes to... Devin Thomas.

Thomas scored the first seven points for Wake Forest in the game, getting the Demon Deacons off to a fast start. Though he would foul out late, he was a crucial factor in keeping Wake Forest in the game in the first 13 minutes of the first period. He certainly appears to be a factor for the Demon Deacons and an impact player in the ACC based on his showing tonight.