And one: Subpar guard play and disoriented offense hurt No. 11 Duke men's basketball against NC State

Burns had just hit a tough layup to go ahead 71-64 with 1:22 left. Proctor brought the ball up the court and dribbled around the perimeter for 12 seconds. During that time, Filipowski stayed close, with the option of providing a screen, but Proctor declined it. Mark Mitchell came up from the corner to provide a screen, but Proctor went the other way. With 12 seconds left on the shot clock, Proctor passed to Filipowski, who had drifted up to the wing, with Roach right behind him. By this time, most of the Blue Devils' players on the court were on the left side of the key, behind the 3-point line. Inevitably, Filipowski dribbled into a double team, passed out to Roach, who with six seconds left on the shot clock, dribbled into the same double team and lost the ball out of bounds with 3.3 seconds left.

One statistic: More than 17 shot attempts by Filipowski

Duke has a 1-5 record in games in which Filipowski has taken 17 or more attempts from the field. The sole win in these games was January’s 84-79 home win against Georgia Tech, where it needed a 10-for-21 barrage from 3-point territory to pull out victory in a game in which it was favored by 18.5 points. In the five losses, Filipowski has a total of four assists, far below his season’s average of 2.8 assists per game. In a vacuum, Filipowski’s high scoring games throughout the season have been strong showings for himself. However, when putting them in the context of the whole year, they’ve ended with lackluster team results. 

Throughout the season, Duke’s offense can be characterized as having run two separate systems. There are possessions where Filipowski is the dominant force, with the offense running through the big man in the middle, and him either attempting a shot or passing out to a shooter at the 3-point line. The other type of game is a more guard-focused, fast-paced game, with the backcourt running the offense, moving the ball fast and generating open looks. Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, when the games get tight, Filipowski-dominant play picks up, which leads to more shots for him and sometimes a Duke loss. On the other hand, the Blue Devils’ best performances of the year, both team-wise and individually, were characterized by high-pace guard play and perimeter initiation. In February, Duke blew the doors off of a talented Miami Hurricanes, with a balanced attack led by the star backcourt of Roach and Proctor. The duo combined for 28 points and eight assists, alongside only three turnovers. Four days prior, McCain exploded for 35 points against Florida State, a showing dominated by ball movement by the backcourt off of fast-break opportunities, and kick-outs from the paint.