Two months after electrifying the crowds north of the border during the Duke Canada Tour this August, R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson brought that same intensity in their first competition at Cameron Indoor Stadium Tuesday.
After battling against each other during the Blue Devils’ Blue/White scrimmage at Countdown to Craziness Friday, Williamson and Barrett joined forces once again, sparking Duke’s offense with a combined 52 points and leading the fourth-ranked Blue Devils to a dominant 106-64 victory against Virginia Union in their exhibition opener.
"Our guys were excited and for five of them it’s their first game. We tend to forget that it’s their first game in Cameron, even though it’s an exhibition," Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Let them get over that. They’ve got a lot of growing up to do, but overall it was a good night for us."
The Blue Devils got out to a slow start, trailing 8-7 with 15:20 remaining in the first half, but Barrett took over, leading Duke on a 15-2 run as the Blue Devils spurted out to a 22-10 lead. The nation’s top-ranked recruit put Duke on his shoulders early, scoring 15 of the team’s first 18 points including a trio of 3-point makes—Barrett would finish the contest with 23.
At that point the nation’s No. 2 recruit decided to get in on the action. Williamson poured in all but four of his team-high 29 points in the last 27 minutes, adding in a pair of alley-oop slams from Barrett in the process as the Blue Devils took a 52-36 lead into the locker room. Perhaps the most impressive part of the performance was the extreme efficiency between the young freshmen. Williamson and Barrett finished the contest with a 75 percent conversion rate on 28 shots.
"For people who know me, I’m not one to force my way into the game, I let the game come to me. I feel like that’s why I was very consistent," Williamson said. "If the shot was there I was taking it, and if the pass was there I was passing it. I was just trying to help my team out any way I can."
Fellow freshmen Cam Reddish—the No. 3 recruit according to ESPN’s Class of 2018 rankings—and Tre Jones made a spark in their first action after missing the Canada tour. Reddish scored 13 points and nine assists in addition to 3-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc, and Jones ran the offense, tying Reddish with nine assists despite finishing the contest with just six points.
Much of the conversation on this team has been related to the already established chemistry, despite having such a young core. This was evident Tuesday, as the Blue Devils recorded 33 assists on 40 baskets and nine different players recorded an assist in the contest.
"It felt the same as practice, I’m kind of used to it at this point," Reddish said on his team's on-court chemistry. "These guys are really unselfish, they’re all getting open shots and playing together. I love it, probably the most fun basketball I’ve ever played."
One of the biggest questions for this Duke team entering the season is whether or not this squad will be able to shoot well enough from downtown in order to space the floor.
While the Blue Devils converted on marginally better than 30 percent of their attempts between the Canada tour and Countdown, Duke looked strong from the perimeter Tuesday, making 13-of-31 attempts. Sophomore Alex O’Connell and junior Jack White provided instant offense off the bench, providing 21 points including just four misses on eight shots from beyond the arc, while showcasing the Blue Devils' veteran depth behind the five freshmen.
"It’s not all about scoring," White said on the team's output off bench. "But, coming in communicating, encouraging those guys to talk and just trying to be leaders out there…. When you focus on that stuff, the scoring and whatever else just takes care of itself."
Following Tuesday’s victory, Duke will conclude its exhibition slate Saturday against Ferris State at 4 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
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Digital Strategy Director for Vol. 115, Michael was previously Sports Editor for Vol. 114 and Assistant Blue Zone Editor for Vol. 113. Michael is a senior majoring in Statistical Science and is interested in data analytics and using data to make insights.