It took the Duke Blue Devils a while to get it together in their 79-71 win over Virginia Commonwealth in the opening round of the 2K Classic in New York.  Duke was coming off a loss to Kentucky where certain players struggled.  That didn't happen again, at least as far as Grayson Allen is concerned.

Allen actually came off the bench to score his 30 points which was the most player in a long, long time.  But he also played a good floor game and his second half defense keyed a Duke run.

In fact, the Duke defense was much better in the second half after adjustments.  That and an emphasis on better rebounding seemed to be the message Mike Krzyzewski conveyed in the locker room.  The Blue Devil returned to a little man to man and that helped prevent the fast break which had been hurting the team of late.

The win certainly wasn't pretty at times but it was effective in that Duke overcame some controversy and a team which pressures the ball.  The Blue Devils had a lot of opportunities to put the game completely away in the final minutes but poor free throw shooting and some ill advised shots kept that from happening.

The contest prepared Duke for future games with guard heavy teams who also have an athletic big man.  Therefore this win was a good November win for a team still finding it's identity an nowhere near as good as they can be,

The game was also a coming out party of sorts for Derryck Thornton.  While his 19 points was impressive to the eyes, his four assists and less turnovers than previous games were big as well.

Luke Kennard continues to struggle with his shot but Krzyzewski allowed him time on the court showing confidence in his freshman sharp shooter to be.  Kennard is going through a time of adjustment and is important for the Blue Devils future in ACC play.

Duke got solid effort from their upper classmen.  Especially Amile Jefferson who has provided early season glue for a team that has needed it.  Meanwhile, Matt Jones showed toughness as well while struggling some with open looks.

Krzyzewski is playing just seven players and this means a lot of minutes for the core group.  While Chase Jeter did not play against the Rams, he seems to be the clear choice as the eight man in the plans.

In the end, Duke worked through the Rams adrenaline plus play for a win, but they left a lot of points on the floor.  They will face Georgetown this Sunday at 1:00 on ESPN for the 2K Championship crown