The Duke Blue Devils suffered their second loss of the young season against Utah this past Saturday.  Not surprisingly, it didn't take long for some fans and media to immediately ask, "What's wrong with Duke?"  In today's short attention span society it seems that the latest game is the say all, be all.  There seems to be less and less ability on fans part to see the big picture or appreciate the work it took to spoil them.

Are there some problems in Durham?  Yes.  Should that be of concern?  Yes, again.  But Grayson Allen will not always be sick and with some luck Duke will get Amilie Jefferson back within six weeks. As we wait for the next game on December the 28th, the Blue Devils will surely reflect on the recent loss and they will adjust.

During the time of adjustment, the Blue Devils will learn to play better with what they've got and the options are nor plentiful.  Far too many think that this years freshman class can be like last years, but a season  ago was a special group and story.  This years class is not bad with concern to expectations, they are just more in line with the word, normal.

A bright spot on Saturday was Luke Kennard.  The Ohio sharpshooter had a breakout game.  The problem is that this kind of play needs to become more consistent.  And his fellow freshman were anything but consistent.

Brandon Ingram is playing much better now, but even the budding star took a step back versus Utah.  And Derryck Thornton and Chase Jeter were in a word, bad.  Thornton needs to be smarter with the ball and if he takes the shots, they have to count.  Jeter is a player who Duke Coach Mike Krzyzzwski hoped to bring along slower and he's got to work on his hands.

And it wasn't just the freshman who struggled and failed to bring consistency to the  court.  With Jefferson absence a lot of weight falls on the shoulders of Marshall Plumlee.  When your senior captain has his worst game of the season, well, not much good is going to happen .

But when you throw a little perspective in, one realizes Duke was still a bucket away from a win.  And this on a day when the rima seemed to be those more akin to the ones you find at the local State Fair.  The bottom line is that Duke grew up a bit and almost found a way to win.

As for their second loss of the season, well,  North Carolina ranked pre season number one and Kentucky who was number two each have two losses.  And like Duke,they each have a loss against a non ranked team.  It's no time for panic.

All that Duke can do now is regroup and learn from the experience. The team is young and dealing with the usual high expectations that are part of playing for Duke.  Every team brings their A game when they face the Blue Devils and the ACC games to come are daunting in that the league is strong.

Right now Michigan State seems to be the clear number one team on the national front but there is a lot of basketball yet to be played.  And the straight up truth is that this season is wide open for any team to get on a run and win it all.

Duke will lose some more games but they will also get better. The freshman who are learning tough lessons now will in time play better together.  Duke is limited in practice.  They cannot go all out with their current depth and this will require some good coaching to turn another corner.  But the Blue Devils staff is as good as it gets and there is reason to think that they want to bud in March and not necessarily right not.

Of course Duke will have to put in the work.  Derryck Thornton needs to be the point guard and distribute.  Luke Kennard needs to remain consistent as his shots are needed.  Jeter needs to gain more confidence and act on instinct.  And did I mention Grayson will not always have flu-like symptoms?

There is little room for error this season for Duke Basketball.  There will not be three high picks at season's end.  But there can be success. When people ask what is wrong with Duke, some things quickly come to mind.  But there is still plenty of potential.

When Duke gets Jefferson back, they can beat any team on a given night.  Grayson Allen has flourished in his star role and never quits. Brandon Ingram is adjusting just fine now and can be a match up nightmare down the stretch.  Matt Jones is a steadying influence and Duke still has Mike Krzyzewski.

There will be more growing pains along the way, but Duke can be a cohesive unit by seasons end.  To answer the question, "What is wrong with Duke?"  The answer is that most of the countries teams would love to have similar perceived problems.  But the obvious answer is that a key senior leader who was having an amazing season suffered and injury.

In the end, Duke Basketball will be just fine.