The bell of the Blue Zone stock exchange has just rung again, meaning it's time for another taking a look at who is rising and falling with their performances for Blue Devil sports teams. Each week The Blue Zone will look at whose stock is on the rise and whose stock has taken a hit from the week in the world of Duke athletics.
Bull Market—Trending Up
Mike Krzyzewski: Duke's head coach received his fair share of criticism after his team was blown off the court last Tuesday against Miami, but bounced back in a big way before Saturday's game at then-No. 6 Louisville. The 67-year old not only decided to extensively use a zone against the Cardinals, but also revealed that he became more sensitive to his young team's confidence issues. In the days leading up to Louisville, Krzyzewski took several measures to help get his inexperienced squad back on track, including taking some jump shots with them at one point Friday.
Although the Blue Devils did not shoot particularly well in their 63-52 win against the Cardinals, they came our firing against Pittsburgh en route to a 79-65 home victory Monday. At one point, Coach K was seen jumping up and down and showing surprising animation given that his team was already up by double-digits, but it appears that the all-time winningest coach in college basketball history is learning what his new team needs. Krzyzewski is now in position to get his 1,000th win Sunday against St. John's at Madison Square Garden in New York, the same venue at which he notched win No. 903.
Tyus Jones: Most people paid attention to Duke's decision to play a 2-3 zone against Louisville, but the play of freshman point guard Tyus Jones was also huge in the road win. The ability of the Apple Valley, Minn., native to handle the Cardinals' pressure defense kept the Blue Devils organized and poised in a hostile road environment. Duke did not make any major costly mistakes taking care of the ball, which allowed them to seize control once shots started falling.
Jones continued his up-and-down freshman campaign with a strong 22-point effort Monday, tying his career high. The 6-foot-1 floor general was in attack mode against the Panthers, going 7-of-11 from the field and 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Duke finally got back on track from 3-point range Monday and the play of its heady point guard was a big reason why.
Bear Market—Trending Down
Justise Winslow's health: The freshman swingman has struggled of late, with just 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting, but the bigger issue might be the physical 6-foot-6, 225-pound swingman's health. Winslow has hit the deck several times in the past few games and his left shoulder has caused him to leave the floor multiple times. After Monday's game, Krzyzewski also revealed that the Houston native is also battling rib injuries, which likely did not help as Duke played four games in eight days, including two against former Big East teams known for physical play. The Blue Devils need a healthy WInslow to keep their versatility on both ends, so five days off for Duke could not come at a better time.
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