Beyond the arc: Three key takeways from Duke's comeback win against Texas

After gritting out a win against Portland State, Duke rallied from a 16-point deficit Friday to down Texas 85-78 in overtime. The Blue Zone gives three key takeways, stats and plays—and looks forward. 

Three Key Takeaways

1. Freshmen's maturity

After Grayson Allen fouled out with two minutes left in the game,  Longhorns’ guard Kerwin Roach III flew by Alex O’ Connell and slammed home a dunk to put Texas up 72-70. At the point, the Blue Devils were sporting five freshmen, and it was understandable to expect the inexperienced group to falter down the stretch. 

But to the credit of young group of five, they were able to hold on to force overtime. In the extra period, the squad showed poise and maturity and were able to pull out the victory. Although very few expected Texas to give the talented Duke team such a fight, the experience may prove to be invaluable later in the season when the fledgling Blue Devils engage in the dogfights of ACC play.

2. Slow Starts

For the fourth straight game, Duke failed to come out of the gates strong. Against a pesky Southern squad, the Blue Devils were unable to break free until under six minutes left in the first half—and it took 10 minutes for Duke to pull away from Furman. Things did not change at the start of the PK80 Invitational, as Portland State gave the team fits up until 14 minutes left in the second half. 

Following Thursday's game, head coach Mike Krzyzewski seemed hopeful that his young squad would learn their lesson and come out firing. But once again, the Blue Devils came out sluggish and immediately fell into a seven-point hole three minutes into the game. Hopefully for Krzyzewski and Co., this does not become a recurring trend, especially against better teams that are be able to shut the door early. 

1. 34 Points

Bagley tied a Duke freshmen record by piling up 34 points on the Longhorns. With nifty jump-hooks, smooth floaters, and ferocious dunks, he kept the Blue Devils in the game and eventually helped them close out the game. Bagley shot 63.2 percent from the field while also collecting 15 rebounds, notching his fifth double-double of the season. Excluding the Michigan State game, where the forward went down with an injury 10 minutes into the game, he is now averaging 24 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.

2. 6 Turnovers

Through the first four games, Duval turned over the ball no more than three times, and averaged just 1.4 turnovers-per-game while dishing out 7.6 assists-per-game. However, against Portland State, the freshman point guard had just two assists on five turnovers. Against Texas, it was much of the same, as Duval turned the ball over six times with forced passing and sloppy decision-making. If the Blue Devils hope to make a deep run in March, Duval will need to tighten up his game and steady the offense. 

3. 61.1 Percent

A recurring problem all season has been free throw shooting for Duke. Against the Longhorns, it converted on just 22-of-36 attempts, with Carter, Duval, and Bagley all missing four. The team is now shooting 64.3 percent on the season after entering the game 281st in the nation—a trend that will need to change for Krzyzewski's squad. 

3 Key Plays

1. Grayson Allen Three after Missed Free Throw

After Texas extended the lead to 16 with just 10:40 left in the game, it looked like Duke was headed towards its first loss of the season. But with 7:47 left, O’Connell fought for an offensive board after a Carter free throw miss and found Allen in the corner. The senior knocked down his second and final 3-pointer of the game to cut the lead to 10—the last time the Longhorns led by double digits.

2.) Trent and-one

After Roach's dunk, the Blue Devils found themselves down two with 1:46 left to play. Duval had an opportunity to tie it up, but missed both of his free throws at the 53-second mark. Then, the team secured an offensive rebound but Mohamed Bamba sent a Bagley layup attempt deep into the stands. Krzyzewski called timeout with 35 seconds and set up an inbounds play. 

On the ensuing possession, Trent cut around Bagley, caught the toss and drove into the paint where he finished at the rim and drew a foul from Bamba to end the center’s night early. The play not only gave Duke its first lead since 2-0 at 73-72, but also allowed the Blue Devil big men to feast in the paint in the extra period with Bamba out of the game.

3. Back-to-back Bagley dunks in overtime

After starting out both halves slowly, Duke made sure not to suffer a similar fate in overtime. On two consecutive possessions, Duval found Bagley into the paint, who flushed the ball home with thunderous dunks. The second slam gave the Blue Devils a 78-73 lead, which they held en route to a thrilling 85-78 victory. 

Looking Forward

The last two games have exposed many flaws in a young Duke team that was flying sky-high after its victory over then-No. 2 Michigan State. 

Shooting woes have become magnified, as Trent is now shooting 34.8 percent from the field and Allen is struggling immensely. Duval has 11 turnovers in his last two games and is still trying to get a handle on the offense. The defense has switched back-and-forth between man and a 2-3 zone, both of which have been susceptible to mental lapses over extended stretches of the game. 

But young teams always go through a learning process—Krzyzewski hopes that it is better that it comes earlier than later. Hopefully for the veteran coach, the Blue Devils embrace the learning and continue to improve to make this season a special one.