Playing without Marvin Bagley for the first time all season, senior Grayson Allen led Duke with a shaken-up starting lineup to a 80-69 victory against Georgia Tech. The Blue Zone gives three takeaways and stats from the game and looks forward for the Blue Devils:
Three key takeaways
1. Duval replaced by O’Connell
After weak performances in Duke’s consecutive losses against St. John’s and North Carolina, incumbent starting point guard Trevon Duval was sent to the bench by head coach Mike Krzyzewski in favor of Alex O’Connell. In his two previous contest, Duval averaged a dismal four turnovers and personal fouls per game, while converting on just a .318 clip from the field. Despite O’Connell’s presence in the starting lineup, Duval actually played 25 minutes Sunday, more than his replacement’s 22 minutes.
2. No Bagley, No Problem
Due to a knee sprain, the Blue Devils’ star forward Marvin Bagley III did not suit up for the contest against Georgia Tech. Marques Bolden got the start in his place. The 6-foot-11 sophomore did a fine job, compiling eight points and six rebounds in his 25 minutes of work. Also benefitting from Bagley III’s absence was sophomore Javin DeLaurier, who saw his most action since Nov. 14.
3. Allen takes charge
Senior Grayson Allen, who has struggled to find his offensive game in conference play, seemed to break through against the Yellow Jackets, tallying 23 points, his greatest total in 2018. Although the guard shot just 35.7 percent from the floor, he was unafraid to take it to the basket and knocked down all 10 of his free throw attempts. An aggressive Allen could make Duke’s offense even more potent.
Three key stats
1. Duval limits turnovers
As mentioned above, one of the primary reasons for Duval sitting was his tendency to turn the ball over. In Sunday’s game, the New Castle, Del., native only coughed up the ball once, a promising development for the Blue Devils.
2. Carter continues paint dominance
Wendell Carter Jr. denied four Georgia Tech shot attempts, the third time he has achieved this mark in his last five games. The freshman forward has been brilliant on the defensive end of late. Carter matched Jahlil Okafor's record for most blocks by a Duke freshman in Sunday's victory.
3. Blue Devils’ defense shines
The Yellow Jackets were only able to muster a .333 overall field goal percentage, along with a putrid .259 percentage from beyond the arc. Duke’s zone suffocated any opportunities their opponent attempted on the offensive end. Georgia tech’s sole bright spot in their 80-69 defeat was Josh Okogie, who scored 29 points and attempted 12 free throws. This is a bit alarming for the Blue Devils, as there seems to be a theme of the team struggling with guards who can get to the hole, a la Shamorie Ponds.
Looking forward
Coming out of their stress-free victory over Georgia Tech, Duke has a few interesting situations to keep an eye on. Perhaps most interesting is if Duval coming off the bench is a one-time occurrence or an ongoing occurrence. On the positive side, Allen’s resurgence offensively was encouraging, and the squad notched their 20th victory of the 2017-18 campaign. The Blue Devils have a challenging upcoming week, with Virginia Tech, who just upset No. 2 Virginia, and No. 16 Clemson on the slate.
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