No. 14 Duke torched Virginia Tech with outside shooting from the start of Saturday’s 82-58 victory. But the Blue Devils also won thanks to an area that has not been a strength since senior forward Amile Jefferson exited the lineup in early December with a foot injury—their play on the interior.
Graduate student center Marshall Plumlee led the charge with a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds as Duke won the rebounding battle 42-33 and recorded eight blocks, six of which came from swingman Brandon Ingram. Plumlee's double-double came after he set a career high in Wednesday's 91-75 win at Wake Forest with 18 points.
The 7-footer continued directing traffic on the defensive end with Jefferson on the sideline and has fueled the Blue Devils' 3-0 start in ACC play.
“Before we started conference play, Marshall made a change in how he led,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He was leading mostly by example before that and very well.… Since the conference [games] started, he’s totally vested in leading the team.”
As he did Wednesday, Plumlee controlled the paint against Virginia Tech, finishing when Hokie defenders Zach LeDay and Kerry Blackshear Jr. were forced to help off the center to stop dribble penetration from the Blue Devil guards. The Warsaw, Ind., native went 6-for-7 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line in Duke's ACC home opener.
After entering the week shooting just 45 percent from the free-throw line, Plumlee went 13-for-14 in the team's two wins.
“I’ve been practicing,” Plumlee said. “But Coach K also emphasizes that if you really throw yourself into winning, focus on just overall team mission, that the little things will kind of fall into place.”
Plumlee also credited some of his offensive production to the work of his teammates, who have been spacing the court around the center since Jefferson's injury to open up driving lanes. When interior defenders are forced to leave Plumlee's body to help their teammates, the 7-footer has shown a knack for finding open areas around the rim and finishing with authority.
The Blue Devils' ability to generate points in the paint while playing four perimeter players has keyed their five-game winning streak, but the work of Plumlee and his teammates on the defensive end was equally important against Virginia Tech.
The Hokies' leading scorer entering the day was LeDay, who averaged 14.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest and had used his versatility to hurt opposing big men. But against the Blue Devils, the 6-foot-7 junior struggled as Duke built its 27-point halftime lead, going 0-for-3 from the field for just two points in the period.
Although LeDay got going in the second half and finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, Ingram and Plumlee locked down the paint and limited Virginia Tech's offense throughout the game. Even when Duke struggled on offense in the second half after putting up 50 points in the first, it relied on its defense to maintain a sizable lead, holding the Hokies to 1-of-12 from 3-point range and forcing 15 turnovers.
“[The keys were] being able to contest those guys at the elbows and being very active and pressuring them,” freshman forward Chase Jeter said.
Ingram's strong play inside defensively—the freshman posted nine rebounds to go with his six blocks—allowed the swingman to take advantage of his perimeter skills on the other end of the court. Ingram continued putting up big numbers at Jefferson's four position, knocking down two early 3-pointers and finishing with 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting and 5-of-9 from the charity stripe.
“That’s the key point going into the game, knowing I’m playing the four position,” Ingram said. “I’m just using my quickness to get around bigger defenders.”
Even Jeter, who has struggled so far in his freshman campaign to find consistent minutes, contributed to Saturday's defensive effort in the paint, drawing a charge in the first half—the team's second in as many possessions—that prompted Krzyzewski to embrace him.
Given how successful Plumlee and Ingram have been at winning their frontcourt matchups early in conference play, Jeter might not see consistent action every game, but it is likely that the Las Vegas native will be called upon when the Blue Devils get into foul trouble.
If he too can find a way to contribute for Duke inside, the Blue Devils' consistency inside could improve to match the team's success on the perimeter.
“Obviously, we’d like for him to be way ahead of where he is,” Krzyzewski said. “But he’s trying. It was a big play and the only way you gain confidence is to do.”
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