Duke’s defense could not match Kentucky’s speed and turned in a sloppy offense performance in a 74-63 defeat Tuesday night in the Champions Classic in Chicago. After trailing by only six at halftime, the fifth-ranked Blue Devils struggled to score against a stout Wildcat defense in the second-half. No. 2 Kentucky used a solid performance from its highly-touted backcourt to pull away from Duke and emerge victorious in the early-season clash.
Three Keys to the Game
- Put the "D" back in Duke: Duke’s weakness on the defensive side of the ball was evident against the Wildcats, who scored almost at will against the Blue Devils. Duke's perimeter players had a tough time staying in front of Kentucky's Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray all evening and the duo finished with 34 points between them. The defense was not much better up front as the Blue Devils allowed 48 points in the paint. Perhaps the most shocking takeaway from the night was Duke's struggles on transition defense as the Blue Devils were routinely beat up the floor and outscored in transition.
- Find the floor general: Duke's decision to rely on multiple ball-handlers cost them dearly in Tuesday's loss as the team never seemed to get into a rhythm offensively. Freshman Derryck Thornton's inexperience was evident on multiple occasions and guards Grayson Allen and Matt Jones were unable to run the offense effectively for the team. For the game, the Blue Devils finished with just nine assists on their 22 made field goals. Going forward, it will be interesting to see whether head coach Mike Krzyzewski can settle on one primary ball-handler for the Blue Devils.
- Crash the glass: After graduate student Marshall Plumlee started strong on the offensive glass, Duke struggled to corral boards when it needed them most. The Wildcats racked up 17 offensive rebounds leading to 14 second-chance points. On multiple occasions, solid defensive positions were nullified by poor boxouts by the Blue Devil big men. Kentucky's Marcus Lee ended as the leading rebounder for the team with 10 boards.
Three Key Plays
- 8:50 remaining, first half: In a chaotic offensive series, senior Amile Jefferson grabbed the rebound off of a missed jumper by Grayson Allen and slammed it home to give Duke its only lead of the contest. Jefferson rebounding an Allen miss became one of the themes of the night as the game progressed.
- 1:37 remaining, first half: The Wildcats' center Marcus Lee ran the length of the floor with Tyler Ulis to put down a huge jam that stunted the Blue Devils' momentum going into halftime. The basket was just one of many easy transition scores for Kentucky in the game.
- 8:02 remaining, second half: Just as Duke was beginning to claw its way back into the game, Ulis pushed the tempo once again and knifed through the Blue Devil defense only to pull up for a midrange jumper. Ulis connected on the shot and continued to do damage against Duke defenders all evening.
Three Key Stats
- Duke commits 16 turnovers to Kentucky’s nine: The Blue Devils' ill-advised turnovers allowed Kentucky to get out in transition and score easy baskets. After playing controlled offense against Siena and Bryant to start the year, Duke could not work the ball around effectively and forced passes into tight windows that were even smaller than usual due to the Wildcats' incredible length. The Blue Devils inexperience showed in this regard as well as the team's four freshman combined for seven turnovers.
- Grayson Allen finishes just 2-of-11 from the floor: After falling just one point shy of Johnny Dawkins’ school points record through two games, Allen vanished against a much tougher opponent. The Jacksonville, Fla. native found his staple drives to the basket obstructed by the long, outstretched arms of Kentucky defenders. Allen also struggled to find his shot from the floor and without his offense, Duke struggled to get much going on the offensive side of the ball.
- Kentucky holds an 18-4 advantage in points in transition: One of the deciding factors in the game was Kentucky's ability to outrun the Blue Devils in transition. The speed of Ulis along with Murray allowed them to showcase their talents in the open court. Although the Blue Devils were playing against two of the best guard in the country, the team's transition defense was lackadaisical at times and did not communicate effectively all evening.
And the Duke game ball goes to…Amile Jefferson
Jefferson turned in his usual solid performance for Duke, finishing with a third-consecutive double-double. The senior from Philadelphia collected a team high 16 points and 15 rebounds and shot 7-of-8 from the floor. The forward also displayed his ability to stay calm in big games as he appeared to be one of the few Blue Devils not fazed by the big stage.
And the Kentucky game ball goes to…Tyler Ulis
The 5-foot-9 sophomore brought the heat in his hometown, slashing his way through the Duke defense to the tune of 18 points and six assists. But Ulis’ impact was felt all across the court as he stuffed the stat sheet with four rebounds, two steals and a block. The Blue Devils had no answer for Ulis when he pushed the pace or when he used his nifty handle to get past the initial defender. The freshman's ability to penetrate the defense and find open teammates hurt Duke all evening.
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