HALFTIME: Duke 45, Elon 25

Entering the 2017 campaign with lofty expectations as the nation’s top team, the Blue Devils have looked locked in through the season's first 20 minutes, heading into the locker room ahead 45-25.

Surrounded by four freshmen playing their first career game, senior captain Grayson Allen took control out of the gate, scoring the team’s first eight points on just three shot attempts to spark a 20-3 run for Duke. The Jacksonville, Fla., native leads the Blue Devils with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting.

After being a perimeter-dependent team the last few seasons, Duke seems as though it will be more interior dependent after losing two of its best perimeter players from last season in Jayson Tatum and Luke Kennard. Aside from Allen, the Blue Devils have converted on just two of their 10 attempts from beyond the arc in the first half.

However, Duke has dominated the interior thanks to the size of freshmen big men Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr. alongside sophomore Javin DeLaurier. Elon's offense has been nonexistent inside the arc, taking a mere 15 of its 31 shots from inside the 3-point line and making just four of those attempts.

Much of Duke’s offensive success has been due to excellent passing and ball control. Point guard Trevon Duval has been the facilitator early on, racking up five of the team’s 10 assists in the half. After struggling to maintain possession in his lone exhibition start against Northwest Missouri State, Duval has just one turnover in tonight’s contest.

Despite sticking largely to a seven-man rotation last season, largely due to early-season injuries, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski has tapped deep into his rotation to start this contest. Ten Blue Devils have seen the court in the first 20 minutes, including freshmen Alex O’Connell and Jordan Goldwire, who were suspended for last weekend’s exhibition against Bowie State.