Beyond the Arc: Duke basketball vs Livingstone

In their first of two preseason exhibition games, the No. 4 Blue Devils proved they plan to live up to the preseason hype with a dominant 115-58 win against Division II Livingstone Tuesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium. After scoring 11 points in the first two minutes of play, the Blue Devils continued dominating and cruised to victory.

In what was truly a team effort, 10 Duke players saw big minutes as the Blue Devil coaching staff often rotated between the starting lineup of Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow, Amile Jefferson and Matt Jones to a secondary five of Quinn Cook, Rasheed Sulaimon, Grayson Allen, Semi Ojeleye and Marshall Plumlee. Most of the 40 minutes of play could have been a highlight reel for Duke, which dominated on both ends of the floor en route to building a 56-14 halftime lead.

Revisting the three keys of the game:

• Get the ball to Jahlil Okafor: Look for this to be the Blue Devil strategy for the entirety of the 2014-2015 season. With preseason honors ranging from AP Preseason All-American to ACC Preseason Rookie of the year, there is no denying Okafor deserves the hype he garners. Okafor posted 15 points tonight on 6-of-7 along with five rebounds in just 21 minutes and made the game easier for his teammates with the attention he drew.
• Channel and sustain the home court energy: Even with a lackluster showing from the Cameron Crazies, the Blue Devils were able to keep up their momentum through both halves and dominate Livingstone on both ends of the court. As it is midterm season for Duke undergraduate students and was a preseason game, attendance is sure to increase dramatically once the Blue Devils begin regular season play against more competitive opponents.
• Find a rhythm with long ball: The Blue Devils dominated the perimeter with 15 3-point field goals made—for a shooting percentage of 46.9 from beyond the arc. Moving forward into regular season play, Okafor will likely be double-teamed often on the inside, leaving open looks for teammates. If Duke is able to capitalize on the as they did with Livingstone, the Blue Devils will prove tough to beat with their new defensive approach.

Three key plays:

• 6:14, first half: Tyus Jones sets Winslow up for a beautiful alley-oop to give Duke a 43-12 lead and the Cameron Crazies respond with fervor.
• 4:06, first half: A Cook pass to Plumlee seems to set him up nicely for a reverse dunk, but instead Plumlee is fouled. Yet, the redshirt junior center turns the foul into an opportunity, making both of his free throws and showing major improvement from last season, when he shot just 35.3 percent from the line.
• 3:58, second half: A smooth steal from Winslow results in a fast break and a Cook layup after a beautiful outlet pass, once again drawing the approval of the crowd and bringing the Blue Devils to 108 points on the night.

Three key stats:

• Livingstone shoots 24 percent from the field in the first half: A critical weakness of the 2013-14 Blue Devils was their lack of defensive intensity. Defense was a focus during the offseason this year and the hard work paid off in the first half for Duke, which was able to limit the Blue Bears to 14 points in the first half and forced 21 Livingstone turnovers.
• Tyus Jones has 11 assists: Jones clearly has earned his starting position in the eyes of his coaches and after finishing the contest with 11 assists and only one turnover, it is apparent why. Jones will be a key presence on the floor for the Blue Devils this season and his ability to continue to run Duke's offense like a well-oiled machine could determine how far the Blue Devils advance in March.
• Seven Blue Devils in double figures: Cook, Allen, Winslow, Matt Jones, Okafor, Jefferson and Ojeleye all scored more than ten points. Depth seems to be the opening trend for the season, with so many players able to get on the board for Duke and get to the free throw line. The Blue Devils were 32-of-40 from the charity stripe and seven players shot four or more free throws.