EAST LANSING, Mich.—In Duke's opening road contest against the Spartans, the Blue Devils came out looking for blood. Duke heads into the locker room leading 45-29 in arguably its most important nonconference game of the season.
Freshman nerves
In Duke's first road contest of the season, the Blue Devils were faced with the daunting task of not only looking for a much-needed ranked win, but one in a rowdy Breslin Center. And for the Blue Devils' youngest faces, Duke's first dip in a hostile environment was as tough an adjustment as any. From the moment Vernon Carey Jr.— Duke's most efficient freshman and former top recruiting target for Michigan State—stepped on the floor, he was greeted with jeers and boos from the sold-out crowd. And on his first touch of the ball, Carey bricked a 3-pointer and followed it up with a whiffed lay-up. Fellow rookie Wendell Moore didn't fare much better, earning two fouls in the first five minutes of play and finding himself riding the pine early.
Luckily for Duke, Carey eventually settled into his role as the Blue Devils' go-to scoring option, recording 15 points and eight rebounds.
Disruption is the name of the game
Duke runs one of the most disruptive defenses in the nation, highlighted by the one of the best on-ball defenders in Tre Jones. And Jones did not disappoint, forcing four early turnovers and staying a thorn in the side of the Spartans' backcourt. The Blue Devils' suffocating defense hounded Michigan State all night, largely keeping the Spartans' most dangerous weapons in check.
Return of NCAA tournament Javin DeLaurier?
In last year's Elite Eight loss to Michigan State, then-junior Javin DeLaurier's double-double performance was completely overshadowed by the abrupt end to a historic season. And although DeLaurier has struggled to match that same production through the season thus far, the Shipman, Va., native looks back to his old self against the green and white. DeLaurier opened as a defensive stalwart, slowing down the Spartans' aggressive bigs. The Duke captain followed that up with a monster block and steal for a two-handed slam to silence the home crowd. DeLaurier finished the half with eight points.
Dominating the paint
Against a lengthy Michigan State team, Duke needed to come out firing on all cylinders. In terms of rebounding, the Blue Devils did that in spades. Duke out-rebounded the Spartans 23-14 with six offensive boards, with Carey leading the Blue Devils with eight. Duke's strong rebounding factored into an overall impeccable defensive effort, limiting the nation's No. 1 offense per KenPom.com to just 29 points.
For what had previously been a sore spot for the Blue Devils, Duke flipped the script with its interior play on both sides of the ball. Carey continued to dominate, and the Blue Devils found welcome contributions from DeLaurier and fellow captain Jack White, leading to 26 points in the paint and seven blocks.
Player of the half: Vernon Carey Jr.
In a half that was a test not only of the Blue Devils' ability against top-tier competition, but a test of the Duke freshmen's ability to play on a big stage, Carey shined bright as the most dominant big man on the floor. Carey paced the Blue Devils with 15 points and led all rebounders, proving to be a player able to survive in a high-pressure environment.
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