A Quinning combination: The success of Cook and Jones in the Duke backcourt

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Remember when the media was trying to figure out whether Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook could play together? Mike Krzyzewski does.

Following Monday's 73-70 victory at Florida State, the Duke head coach reminded the reporters in attendance of that time about six months ago when numerous think-pieces on the Blue Devil backcourt were written. Needless to say, his guards have done everything but issue a retraction for each of those stories.

"Those two guards have been rock solid for me, [Jones] and Quinn," Krzyzewski said. "Remember when we started the year, I don't know if you remember, but everyone's saying, 'How's that going to work out?' Well, it's worked out pretty darn well."

With Jahlil Okafor in foul trouble for most of the first half and Justise Winslow only connecting on one field goal the entire game, the Blue Devils needed their two guards desperately Monday. And, once again, they delivered.

Jones' success on the big stage this season has been well-chronicled and Monday's contest—televised on ESPN—was no different. The Apple Valley, Minn., native turned in a stat line usually reserved for the likes of Rajon Rondo or John Wall, as he went for 16 points, a career-high 12 assists and a team-high six rebounds.

"Twelve assists and one turnover. He's had a great month," Krzyzewski said. "He's had a terrific year, but he's had a great month."

Jones' row of the box score was so stuffed that it nearly over-shadowed the Herculean effort put forth by his partner-in-crime.

The senior captain scored a game-high 26 points, largely keeping the team in the game when the Blue Devils were struggling to solve the length of Florida State's defense. Cook was able to do so because, as an ACC veteran, there is not much left that can rattle him.

The Washington native was 0-for-3 from the field, committed a turnover and a foul in the first 7:30 of the game, after which the Blue Devils trailed 8-4.

Fast-forward another 7:30—Cook has 10 points and Duke leads 22-14.

The same thing happened at the end of the game. From the 5:41 mark onward, Florida State cut into the Blue Devils' lead and seemed poised to stage a major upset at home. But Cook put in eight of his 26 points during that stretch, including a 5-of-6 performance from the free throw line to lead Duke to its eighth ACC victory.

Many things could be called indicative of the Blue Devils' season, from Okafor's dominance in the post or their switch to zone. But Cook's leadership and play-making in crucial situations may be the most consistent thing on the floor at every Duke game.

"Quinn's been terrific as a leader. He's been our most valuable guy," Krzyzewski said. "He's not only been a good player—a really good player—but he's been a great leader."

Cook's leadership has come in many forms this season. From mentoring the freshmen as they try and make it through ACC play, keeping things in perspective as Krzyzewski went for win No. 1,000 or taking the big shot with the game in the balance, Cook has repeatedly shown a poise that only a select few have displayed during their time in Durham.

Part of that growth comes in humility. Following the disappointing end to last year's season, many criticized the guard for his absence down the stretch. In Duke's final 11 games, Cook was held to single-digit scoring efforts seven times. His best game came in the season-ending loss to Mercer.

This summer, Cook dedicated himself to being the leader of the Blue Devils. Instead of going home, he hung around Durham, bonding with the freshmen and hitting the weight room in his spare time. With all the talk of whether or not he and Jones could work together on the court flying around, Cook kept his head down and accepted his new role as Duke's two-guard.

The hard work paid off.

Cook is averaging a career-high 14.2 points per game and is doing so at his most efficient clip to date. Both his field goal percentage mark and 3-point field goal percentage have risen about two percentage points, and his 92.0 percent mark from the free throw line is a 9.3 percent jump from last season's clip. Cook is not just leading with his words—he is backing it up on the court.

"Our guys follow him and he's been one of my better leaders that I've had at Duke," Krzyzewski said. "And I didn't know that would happen this year. Of all the guys, I'm most proud of him. I'm most proud of Quinn Cook."

With Jones and Cook both possibly departing from Duke at the end of this season, Blue Devil fans may want to enjoy the show they are getting in the backcourt. Just six months ago, folks asked whether or not the two could coexist.

After 24 regular-season games and a combined 25.3 points per contest between the two, it is clear that Jones and Cook are not just coexisting—they are thriving.