No. 2 Duke played to its preseason ranking in the first half against Dartmouth Monday night, jumping out to a 42-21 lead in the Blue Devils’ 2023-24 season opener. Here are five takeaways from the first 20 minutes of play at Cameron Indoor Stadium:
Mark Mitchell out
Monday night’s biggest news came before tipoff, when the team announced that Mark Mitchell was day-to-day with a lower body injury and would miss the contest. The sophomore forward started every game for the Blue Devils a year ago except for their last — a heartbreaking, physical loss to Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA tournament. While he did not lead the team in any offensive categories as a freshman, Mitchell was a key defensive piece and provided stable and consistent scoring.
Without the Kansas City, Kan., native against Dartmouth, Duke did not seem to miss a beat, as it still largely commanded the game from the tip. Mitchell’s status will be something to keep an eye on ahead of the Blue Devils’ marquee matchup Friday with No. 12 Arizona.
Nervy start
First-game jitters were apparent for both teams in the game’s opening minutes, as they combined for six fouls in the first five minutes. An off the ball foul on sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor and an illegal screen on graduate center Ryan Young slowed the pace of the game and prevented Duke from running away with it early on.Duke finally seemed to settle in when sophomore center Kyle Filipowski leaped for an emphatic rejection on Dartmouth’s Dusan Neskovic, which led to an open transition three for freshman guard Jared McCain.
However, foul trouble continued to plague the Blue Devils, and — paired with a poor showing from deep — they were not able to extend their lead to double-digits until just over four minutes remained in the half. As the half wore on, though, Duke settled into a rhythm, and by the end of the half it shot 6-for-13 from three — building on an impressive 11-for-25 in its exhibition game against UNC Pembroke.
Foul trouble
The depth of the Blue Devils’ backcourt was forced to become apparent early, as Proctor, McCain, and senior guard Jeremy Roach all picked up two first-half fouls and were forced to sit. In their stead, freshman Caleb Foster and junior Jaylen Blakes filled in, providing solid minutes. Foster drove strong to the basket for two tough layups, and added a three. Blakes made his impact defensively, disrupting Dartmouth’s guards and sprinting across the floor. He also contributed a physical and-one in transition that gave the Blue Devils their biggest lead of the game to that point. When Proctor was able to return, he led Duke to its first big momentum swing of the game, as he and Filipowski hit back-to-back threes and forced the Big Green to call a timeout.
Post protection:
The Blue Devils pestered the Big Green on and off the ball, consistently generating tips, blocks and steals. While Duke only generated three first-half turnovers, Dartmouth was often unable to get into its offensive sets without being pushed back to near midcourt by Blue Devil guards. Inside, Filipowski and sophomore center Christian Reeves dissuaded drivers from putting shots up. With Mitchell’s absence, Reeves saw five minutes of action, possibly signaling an increase in playing time from the 3.2 minutes per game he saw last season. Duke’s third center, Ryan Young, contributed four rebounds, seeing a starting role due to Mitchell’s absence. The size and athleticism advantage inside helped spur the Blue Devils’ late 9-0 run to end the first half.
Player of the half: Kyle Filipowski
The leader on the team in scoring a season ago, Filipowski showed why he was named a Preseason First-Team All-American, leading the team with 10 points. He opened the game’s scoring with an inside move on Dartmouth’s Brandon Mitchell-Day, and he also showed he could stretch the court, as the big man knocked down a triple from the top of the key. On the defensive end, Filipowski was also active, as he helped hold the Big Green to just 29.2% shooting from the field.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
Dom Fenoglio is a Trinity sophomore and an assistant Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 119th volume.