After opening practice Friday, Duke showed its potential at an open practice Saturday morning even without two of its most talented players.
The Blue Devils' practice began at Cameron indoor Stadium with head coach Mike Krzyzewski addressing the crowd and announcing that both Harry Giles and Grayson Allen would not practice. Allen was dressed and came onto the court later in the practice to ride a stationary bike, and Giles is being worked into the fold slowly after tearing his right ACL in November 2015.
Duke then ran a series of drills and some 5-on-5 action for the remainder of the morning. Here are some observations from the practice:
Amile Jefferson looks healthy in his return to the court
After filing for a medical redshirt last season due to a broken right foot, Jefferson stood out in Saturday's practice. The graduate student displayed an explosive first step and made the play of the morning when he dunked over freshman Jack White. Jefferson brought the ball up the court against point guard Frank Jackson on multiple occasions during practice and even displayed an improved shooting stroke. With versatile freshman Jayson Tatum and Giles both standouts at the forward position, it will be interesting to see whether Jefferson also gets more time on the perimeter than he has in past years.
Marques Bolden displays his impressive skillset
At 6-foot-11, Bolden is hard to miss in the paint and his presence is noticeable on the court. But the freshman may be more than just another body Krzyzewski can use off the bench. Bolden showed off his nimble feet and multiple low post moves that could make him a secondary scoring option for the Blue Devils. The center also made his ability to defend clear and came away with a big block of White in the team's scrimmage.
Jayson Tatum impresses from the outside
Tatum was in the conversation with Jefferson as the biggest standout from Duke's practice. The freshman displayed a silky smooth shooting stroke and hit three perimeter jumpers. The Blue Devils ran a number of sets with Tatum receiving a pass at the wings and the forward seemed very comfortable making plays off the bounce with the ball in his hand.
Frank Jackson's intensity stands out
Although he may be one of the smallest players on the court, the freshman was not afraid to mix it up with some of the team's bigs during practice. Jackson was constantly chirping with Jefferson as the forward brought the ball up the court and applied impressive defensive pressure throughout the morning. The combo guard also finished one offensive possession with a nifty layup after splitting a double team.
Duke completes 4:15 drill in dramatic fashion
One of the most exciting moments of the morning came when the Blue Devils ran their 4:15 drill. Krzyzewski took the microphone to explain the drill—which requires making 120 shots in the allotted time—to the crowd. Duke maintained a steady pace and found themselves needing around 30 shots in the final minute of the drill. With time winding down, the Blue Devils got a drill-ending bucket from walk-on Nick Pagliuca, which received a roar from the crowd.
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