Duke men's basketball Player of the Week: Week 14

Brandon Ingram

The statline:

Monday vs. Louisville: 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting, 10 rebounds and four assists in 40 minutes

Saturday vs. Virginia: 25 points on 10-of-22 shooting, seven rebounds and one assist in 38 minutes

The good: Ingram continued to showcase his versatility this week. During the last 10 minutes against Louisville, Ingram took command of the Blue Devils’ offense sliding over to point guard. Once he brought the ball up to half court, Ingram either drove to the basket and drew a foul or passed out to open shooters. Three days later, Ingram took over again, but in a different way. After a quiet start against Virginia, the forward exploded for 20 points in the last four and half minutes of the first half and initial four minutes of the second half. During that stretch—which took Duke from 11 down to a one-point lead—the freshman scored 18 consecutive points for the team at one point. In addition to hitting his perimeter shots, Ingram attacked the basket and displayed an arsenal of moves in his mid-range game.

The bad: Although he used his 7-foot-3 wingspan to help him protect the rim, Ingram had periodic lapses on defense. On a couple occasions against Virginia, the Kinston, N.C. native struggled to stay in front of his man and surrendered easy layups. Ingram also appeared to get tired down the stretch against the Cavaliers, cooling off late in the game and missing a couple easy shots. 

The bottom line: Ingram will continue to be Duke’s primary scorer and playmaker alongside sophomore guard Grayson Allen, and the freshman will likely play heavy minutes throughout the rest of the season. With Amile Jefferson still out with a foot injury and freshman Chase Jeter not acclimated to the college game, the Blue Devils cannot afford to rest Ingram for extended minutes.

Honorable mention: Grayson Allen had another strong week, following up 19 points against Louisville with a buzzer-beater to beat Virginia. The Jacksonville, Fl. native mostly struggled against the Cavaliers, shooting just 36 percent from the field, including 0-of-4 from beyond the arc. He also missed two key free throws with 27 seconds left, which allowed Virginia to take a one-point lead on the ensuing possession. But with time winding down, Allen bounced back with an acrobatic one-handed bank shot to give the Blue Devils the win at the buzzer.