Tag Archives: Grayson Allen

10 Random Thoughts on Duke’s Comeback Win

January 16, 2018 Mark Watson

They did it again! Just when you thought the team was about to lose their third game of the season, Duke came alive. The Blue Devils uses an 18-0 run to shock Miami and snatch a key ACC road win. Without further ado, here is volume V of 10 Random Thoughts on Duke Basketball.

30 Point Efforts

No other team in the ACC has more than two players with 30 plus scoring games this season. Duke, on the other hand, has now had players go for 30 points or over in seven games. Last night it was Gary Tent Jr.s turn. After being sick the game before against Wake Forest and still playing well, Trent followed up that game with 30 points which included some big time three pointers. His effort helped Duke remain undefeated against teams in the current A.P. Top 25.

Comeback Artists

Trailing 66-53, Duke went on an 18-0 run and outscored Miami 27-4 over that stretch which sealed their fourth conference win. Gary Trent went 6 of 9 from three-point range, knocking down two consecutive trays to start the comeback. Trevon Duval also stepped up his game after struggling with turnovers early in the game and ended up having 8 assists. Duke has had a way of turning up their offense for spurts all season long. Quite simply, they are capable of staging major comebacks in just a few minutes or when the game looks to be in doubt.

Not to take anything away, but ...

The Blue Devils still need to find some consistency in many areas of the game. Firstly, they need to protect leads they build in the first half or leads in general. Duke also needs some work on their free throw game. They got away with going 10 of 21 from the charity stripe last evening and left a lot of points with misses of late. Then there is the need for a consistent effort and better shot selection not to mention a better understanding of man to man defense. Duke is young and learning. Once they take better shot and gain a killer instinct with the lead, they will be hard to beat. Just a little bit of improvement in the aforementioned areas could pay huge dividends.

A different role from Bagley

Well of course Marvin Bagley III got his 15 double-double on the season. And he tallied 13 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists by deferring to other Duke players at times. Last evening three other Duke players had more shots than Bagley. The talented freshman took another step in his development by allowing this to happen which translated to a win. And if Duke wins, Bagley will still remain the center of attention for many.

Wendell Carter went beast mode

When teammate Marvin Bagley went to the locker room with a shoulder injury, Carter played outstanding basketball. He was a machine on the boards where many of his game high 14 rebounds came early or in key times in the game. Carter is a double-double guy as well and he has pout together back to back games with the not so easy feat. Duke would be well served to make sure he continues to get touches moving forward for he is better when that happens as is the team. What people might miss is there is a timed development with players from the staff. They told Carter he would float outside for some shots to better that part of his game when recruiting him. They are keeping their promise. BTW, Carter has an insane stat line - 15 points, 14 rebounds, 4 blocked shots, 3 assists and 2 steals.

Allen continues to struggle with his shot

Sometimes players get in a shooting funk. That has been the case with all of the Duke backcourt players at times this season. It is scary to think how good Duke can be if all three are hitting on the same night. What Allen is doing is finding his way into the stat line and remaining the senior leader a team needs. Last evening he led Duke is steals with 5 and his effort towards the end of the half to get one and assist Trent for a 3 halted Miami's momentum.

That zone

I know there is a part of Mike Krzyzewski that hates going to a zone. But in the one and done era with limited teaching time with players, not to mention a top-heavy team with concern to minutes: it is necessary. And when Duke does go to that zone it seems to have a great effect to date. When they went to it last evening, the Hurricanes offense immediately struggled with the length and movement.

Bad Duval, good Duval

Trevon Duval got into some early foul trouble and had to sit. He needs to learn to harness his aggression in that Duke needs him on the court. He is the best option at his position hands down. I thought he was on his way to 8 turnovers like he had against NC State, but he flipped the switch and halted that. Instead of 8 turnovers he ended the game with 8 assists. And he was very efficient from the field going 7 of 11 and 2 of 2 from 3. There is no position like the point guard spot which makes mistakes stand out. Duval was good down the stretch and was a part of Duke not committing turnovers after a season high 19 during their 30-9 run to close out the game.

This and that

Duke has now had players garner 25 double-doubles on the season. Bagley is 2nd in the nation in double-doubles and 1st among freshmen players. Trent tied a Duke freshman record with six made three pointers. Coach K is now 1014-273 at Duke and has 1087 total wins.

Next up

Pitt will visit Cameron Indoor Stadium on Coach K Court this coming Saturday. That game will tip-off at 4:00 on ACC Network Extra. Duke should get both rest and good practice time this week. They should also be able to let injured players continue to mend against Pitt which s struggling while rebuilding their program.

Always check back for new 10 Random Thoughts on Duke Basketball. And take advantage of our special on Blue Devil Nation Premium where we double your membership through the month of January. Get two years for the price of one or one year for the price of six months.

Duke Basketball

K-Less Duke Rattles Wake Forest 89-71

January 13, 2018 Mark Watson

After an unseasonably warm couple of days, the weather turned cooler on the day of the Duke-Wake Forest game. Walking up to Cameron Indoor Stadium one could see tent city in full bloom. The students were back in force to cheer on their beloved Blue Devils who sought to get back in the thick of the ACC race with a win.

But things were far from normal on this day. About an hour before tip-off, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski decided not to coach in the game. He had just come down with a stomach virus and he did not want to make his players sick, especially with a trip to Miami on the horizon where Duke has to take on the Hurricanes in just over a day away.

Add Gary Trent Jr. to the list of sick players as well. Trent hovered over a trash can on the bench but would play in the game. Duke was also without the services of Javin DeLaurier and Marques Bolden, but the team did not give in to the pressure. Instead, they rose to the occasion and came away with an 89-71 win over Wake Forest.

Duke Associate Assistant Coach Jeff Capel took the reigns in Krzyzewski's absence. And Capel looked more than a little comfortable taking over the role with short notice. After all, this is not his first rodeo.

Capel substituted enough to keep the players fresh in the game. The involvement seems to have helped Duke in wins over Pitt and Wake Forest which has pushed the team's record to 3-2 in the ACC and 15-2 overall.

Of course, it is nice when Capel has Marvin Bagley III (30 points, 11 rebounds) on the floor. Bagley threw down some emphatic dunks on his way to his 14th double-double of the season which ties the Duke record for a freshman.

Bagley also has 4 steals. And, of course, some of those led to crushing dunks. Some of the students were donning his face on their shirts which his Dad had made.

Wendell Carter Jr. (15 points, 11 rebounds) chipped in with a double-double as well. The duo were also beasts on the glass and altered many Wake Forest shots over the course of the game.

Grayson Allen continues to struggle with his shot. But he earned the praise of Coach Capel in that while only scoring 2 points he led the team in rebounding with 12 and assists, dishing 8 dimes.

Despite being really sick, Trent Jr. nailed three consecutive three-point shots and played another good overall floor game. Capel praised his toughness where he tallied 19 points.

Duke played a zone for much of the game and they were active in it when doing so. The Blue Devils held a good Wake offense down when Capel went back to it in the 2nd half, after they cut into the Duke lead and closed to within 13.

Due to the closeness of the two games, the staff will not be able to go on the road and watch some key prospects in the Hall of Fame Classic. It is unknown when Krzyzewski and player Bolden and DeLaurier will return.

Duke Basketball

Marvin Bagley III, Grayson Allen Make John Wooden List

January 11, 2018 Mark Watson

Marvin Bagley III and Grayson Allen are 2 of the 25 players selected for the John Wooden Player of the Year Award - Photo - Blue Devil Nation

John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s has announced 25 players who are vying for the coveted player of the year honors.

Included on the list released just moments ago were Duke senior Grayson Allen and freshman Marvin Bagley III.

Allen is the captain of this seasons team, while Bagley III leads the ACC in scoring and rebounding and has the 2nd most double-doubles in the nation.

Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the first half of the 2017-18 season, the list comprises of 25 student-athletes who are front-runners for the sport’s most prestigious honor.

2017-18 Midseason Top 25

Name	School	Conference	Height	Class	Position
Grayson Allen	Duke	ACC	6-5	Sr.	G
Deandre Ayton	Arizona	Pac-12	7-1	Fr.	F
Marvin Bagley III	Duke	ACC	6-11	Fr.	F
Mohamed Bamba	Texas	Big 12	6-11	Fr.	F
Joel Berry II	North Carolina	ACC	6-0	Sr.	G
Trevon Bluiett	Xavier	Big East	6-6	Sr.	G
Mikal Bridges	Villanova	Big East	6-7	Jr.	G/F
Miles Bridges	Michigan State	Big Ten	6-7	Soph.	G/F
Jalen Brunson	Villanova	Big East	6-3	Jr.	G
Jevon Carter	West Virginia	Big 12	6-2	Sr.	G
Bonzie Colson	Notre Dame	ACC	6-6	Sr.	F
Angel Delgado	Seton Hall	Big East	6-10	Sr.	C
Marcus Foster	Creighton	Big East	6-3	Sr.	G
Devonte' Graham	Kansas	Big 12	6-2	Sr.	G
Tra Holder	Arizona State	Pac-12	6-1	Sr.	G
Aaron Holiday	UCLA	Pac-12	6-1	Jr.	G
Jock Landale	Saint Mary's	WCC	6-11	Sr.	C
Yante Maten	Georgia	SEC	6-8	Sr.	F
Luke Maye	North Carolina	ACC	6-8	Jr.	F
Brandon McCoy	UNLV	Mountain West	7-0	Fr.	F
Jordan Murphy	Minnesota	Big Ten	6-6	Jr.	F
Collin Sexton	Alabama	SEC	6-3	Fr.	G
Landry Shamet	Wichita State	The American	6-4	Soph.	G
Allonzo Trier	Arizona	Pac-12	6-5	Jr.	G
Trae Young	Oklahoma	Big 12	6-2	Fr.	G

Duke Basketball

Duke Rolls Past Pitt 87-52

January 10, 2018 Mark Watson

The Duke Blue Devils rebounded from an upset loss at N.C. State for a convincing 87-52 win over Pitt on Wednesday evening. In the process, the Blue Devils push their season record to 14-2 overall and 2-2 in the ACC.

After letting up over 90 ppg in their first three ACC games, Duke held Pitt to 52 points which included 11 team steals and 15 forced turnovers. It was the Blue Devils best defensive effort since a win over Evansville in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

All six Duke starters would end the game with double figure scoring. Duke was one again led by Marvin Bagley III who tallied yet another double-double. The National Player of the Year candidate scored 16 points to go with 15 rebounds.

Trevon Duval added 14 points and had just a single turnover after committing a season high 8 in his last outing. Duval was also 3 of 5 from beyond the three-point stripe despite shooting just 16% for the season coming into the game.

Duke was also aided by Gary Trent Jr. scoring 14 points, most of those coming late in the game where he scored 9 straight points in one stretch. It was perhaps his best overall floor game of late in that he led the Blue Devils with 5 assists to go with 2 steals.

Grayson Allen would add 12 and Wendell Carter Jr. 10 for Duke. Justin Robinson was also in double figures with a career high 10 points including three from beyond the 3 point stripe.

Duke had 22 points off the bench despite missing Marques Bolden and Javin DeLaurier who are out with injuries. Alex O'Connell added 8 points while Jordan Goldwire and Antonio Vrankovic had 2 each.

"Our bench was really good. They all gave good minutes and kept us going in the first half," said Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Jack White also played and while he did not score, he had 2 key rebounds and 2 steals. In fact, Duke had 11 steals as a team. In short, Duke got production from everyone who played.

Duke also dished out 21 assists as a team and scored 30 points off turnovers. The Blue Devils also protected the ball with just 6 turnovers while forcing 15.

Pitt cut the lead to 17 in the 2nd half, but after a timeout, it took the Panthers over 8 eight minutes to score another field goal. Whatever Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski said, allowed his team to close strong.

One thing he did was play zone knowing Duke was tired where their big men were taxed having to do more due to injured players. Duke was very efficient from that point on.

"We have been practicing hard and played while we practiced. We are trying to play good defense and played good zone in the last ten minutes," said Krzyzewski after the game.

Duke will take on Wake Forest in Cameron Indoor Stadium in their next game. That contest will tip-off at 12:00 noon. "We have to hope our fans are ready for when we play Wake Forest," said Krzyzewski.

Duke Basketball

10 Random Thoughts on Duke Basketball

January 4, 2018 Mark Watson

It is time for the third installment of the season of 10 Random Thoughts on Duke Basketball.

Great crowds are not an automatic norm - It seems like a while since Duke has played but we must address how good the crowd was during the FSU game in Cameron. Even Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told the players they got their first true Cameron experience after a victory over a team shooting lights out.

Now, the odd thing here is that there were no cheerleaders or students to speak of, yet Cameron was at its loudest this season. It goes to show that spirit is often brought in more-so from fans who really want to see the team and rarely have the chance.

Duke will not play again in Cameron until January the 13th against Wake Forest. And the bar was set high for when the students come back to keep up a winning atmosphere. There are games when empty seats are found when the students are there, but Cameron was packed last Saturday and they need to find a way to keep the place full.

Next up, N.C. State - Yes, the Wolfpack was man handled by Notre Dame minus Bonzie Colson. Yes, Duke is the favorite. But the Pack has a way of playing their best against Duke no matter their record or national perspective. This will be the first time meeting between Kevin Keatts and Mike Krzyzewski in ACC play.

What will the Pack do? That's easy They will launch a ton of three-point shots. While streaky beyond the arc, that is how this team beat Arizona on a neutral court. The scouting report on Duke is that you must make your threes to win.

Duke should have an advantage in the paint - The dynamic duo of Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr. has given Duke their best frontcourt ever under Krzyzewski. Yeah, I said it. But Omer Yurtseven and Abdul Malik-Abu will play well and try to make a name for themselves.

What I think Duke needs to do vs N.C. State - I am convinced that Duke will score the ball inside. But they will also need to hit their free throws. Some misses almost caught up to them in the win over FSU. Duke will also need to knock down a few threes while keeping the starters out of foul trouble early in the game. N.C. State and other schools play the name on the jersey and look forward to this match up and are therefore loose.

What does a player have to do? Marvin Bagley III won the ACC Rookie of the Week after his 32 point, 21 rebound stat line against the FSU. But I am not sure how that stat line and the significance of a key conference game kept him from player of the week as well.

After the Pack? Duke plays at Pitt on January 10th. Oh look! They also play them again just 10 days later in Cameron on January the 20th.

It's on now! After the game with Pitt, the breaks will be few and far between for Duke. They take on Wake 3 days later and then travel to Miami 2 days later. In short, the games will come quick now that conference season has started. When Duke tips off against the Pack in Raleigh on Saturday, they will have exactly 2 months before the ACC Tournament begins.

Duke loses Jordan Tucker - Transfers happen. Especially when players want to play right away and not willing to ride out the process. It is worth noting that Duke assistant coach Nolan Smith and many other stars past rode the bench in their freshman season.

We, of course, wish Tucker the best. At the same time, there is an appreciation for players who trust the process for many Blue Devils have become solid players in their junior and senior seasons.

I mentioned in the pre season that minutes would likely boil down to who won practice battles between Alex O'Connell and the aforementioned Tucker. I personally feel that O'Connell was a bit better prepared with his overall game to contribute.

The year to date and what is ahead - I mean, the team is ranked 2nd in the nation against a solid schedule and has perhaps the nations best player in Marvin Bagley III. Freshman starters Wendell Carter Jr., Gary Trent Jr., and Trevon Duval are playing older than they are. That, which Krzyzewski has stated, must continue.

Grayson Allen has become a leader and Duke has three good options off the bench and maybe even four. There have been no major injuries and the team likes each other and seems to have fun with the game.

So, not much to complain about. They are not perfect nor will they be and some more losses lie ahead. But plenty of wins do was well . The team can certainly win the league with some luck and make a deep run in March. I am certain their goal is the exact same one the fans have in mind. But take it one game at a time folks...one game at a time and enjoy the season.

Also - take advantage of our membership special by following the link on the front page. We have extended the discount through the month of January.

Duke Basketball

Duke Defense Stymies Evansville

December 21, 2017 Mark Watson

Alex O'Connell 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block and 1 assist in Duke win.

The Duke Blue Devils completed yet another undefeated season against non conference opponents in Cameron Indoor Stadium. With a dominant 104-40 win over Evansville, the Blue Devils pushed their streak to an NCAA best 139th straight win.

Duke used a suffocating defense that held Evansville (10-3) to just 15 field goals on the evening. In fact, there was one stretch in the game where the Blue Devils outscored the Purple Aces 42-3.

The Blue Devils defense created a 39-2 advantage on point off turnovers. And that was aided by 13 steals to just 1 for their overwhelmed opponent, which means the team also protected the ball. By games end, Duke forced a season high 21 turnovers

The Blue Devils now go into the Christmas breaks with an upbeat if not feel good win. The team is now 12 -1 on the season and will not return to the court until December the 30th against Florida State in a game that will be televised from Cameron on CBS.

Despite the students being on vacation, local and Duke fans from afar packed Cameron Indoor Stadium and were vocal in their appreciation. Of course, with a stellar team win, that made for the festive atmosphere.

By games end, the Blue Devils had played many players and the bench guys showed well. Jordan Goldwire would end the game with 7 assists, while Justin Robinson would knock down back to back threes which brought those at Coach K court to their feet.

Jack White would only score two points but his thunderous dunk punctuated an evening when many things went right. Duke shared he ball, dishing out 34 assists which pleased Mike Krzyzewski in his post game press conference.

Duke shot a blistering 16 of 26 from beyond the three-point stripe and it was Duke freshman Wendell Carter Jr. that took 7 of those shots. Carter who ended the game with a career high 27 points knocked down 4 of 7 three pointers. Overheard was somebody saying in a light manner that he was the new JJ (Redick).

There was a sense of accomplishment in the locker room. All the players seemed please with the team's performance. Many mentioned the hard work on defense and it was clear they all felt good going into the Holiday break.

And they should feel good, for it was easy to see that their work had reamed rewards in improvement. It was easy to see from my vantage that the players were being more vocal and switching off their man in a more seamless fashion.

This was the kind of game that cured some of the angst in wait the team had after their only loss of the season. Duke went to their bench just four minutes into the game as it became clear that the team had a feel of togetherness. That togetherness led to a dominant, feel good win for the team and the fan base.

Notes - The Duke players will return on December the 27th. The coaches will be out on the road recruiting in force at the many holiday events. We will discuss where they will be in detail in a coming update for premium members. And remember, we have a special where you get double any membership time when you join before year's end. Javin DeLaurier was out nursing a hamstring injury and Jordan Tucker had an undisclosed injury as well.

The margin of victory was the 7th largest in school history, Duke has made at least one three-point shot in 997 consecutive games. Marques Bolden matched his career high with 3 blocked shots. Grayson Allen moved to 24th on the all time scoring list.