CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—The Blue Devils have played 20 games this season and have already done something almost no team has the chance to—beat three top-six opponents on their home court.
Duke used a furious rally to beat No. 2 Virginia 69-63 Saturday night at John Paul Jones Arena and a major catalyst of its 22-7 closing push in the last 5:08 of the game was senior captain Quinn Cook. The Washington, D.C., native made all three of his 3-pointers—which accounted for nine of his 15 points on the evening—during the stretch. His final triple came with 1:19 left in the game and put the Blue Devils up 66-63, their first lead in more than 17 minutes of game action.
But just as important as Cook’s timely 3-point shooting after Duke started the game 1-of-11 from long range was his leadership. As he has done all season, the 6-foot-2 guard guided his younger teammates through adversity.
“Quinn Cook is the man right now—he’s been a great captain from day one,” sophomore Matt Jones said. “It’s noted that we have a lot of young players, but to see him make big shots makes you want to hit a big shot. It makes you want to play hard. You can’t say enough about Quinn, the way he’s been on and off the court. I could sit here and compliment him all day. He’s just an amazing player.”
Jones said that having a veteran presence like Cook in the locker room who can back up his advice with big-time plays on the court is a big reason why the Blue Devils have been able to handle the many highs and lows of this season.
“I know personally when we get down, I’m like ‘Okay, Q, pick it up—it’s time for you to hit a big shot,’” Jones said. “He always comes to play and always hits big shots. To have a senior you know will hit a big shot—that [adds] another dimension to your team and gives you a lot of confidence.”
Perhaps the biggest testament to Cook’s job as a leader through 20 games this season is the way he has played alongside freshman point guard Tyus Jones. Jones hit two huge triples of his own in the second half Saturday night—including the dagger with 10.4 seconds left—and has come up clutch several times already in his young career.
The Apple Valley, Minn., native partially credits his senior backcourt mate for his confidence late in games, but also points out that he has not been the only one influenced by Cook’s example.
“My teammates really give me the confidence I need,” Tyus Jones said. “I wasn’t knocking down shots earlier, but [Jahlil Okafor] told me [to] keep shooting, Quinn told me [to] keep shooting—that’s just really how our team is. I love these guys.”
Following arguably their biggest win of the season, it was no surprise the Blue Devils were excited to talk about their triumph. And given how well his younger teammates stayed composed unlike they did Wednesday at No. 8, it was also no surprise that Cook—a consummate leader for this group—was most proud of his team’s unity after a chaotic week.
“When it comes to these big-time games, we’re pumped for them. We could have laid down when they made their run in a hostile environment, but guys stayed together,” he said.
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