Duke vs. Stanford: Score, Twitter Reaction from Coaches vs. Cancer Classic 2014

The fourth-ranked Duke Blue Devils lived up to their gaudy early-season standing on Saturday, as they defeated Stanford 70-59 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic championship at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Even though the Cardinal aren't ranked, they presented a considerable challenge for the mighty Blue Devils. Stanford returned several key pieces from last year's Sweet 16 team, and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com highlighted how they matched up rather favorably with the Duke players:

Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski was squaring off with one of his former standout players in Johnny Dawkins, which added an interesting dynamic to Saturday's championship matchup. Krzyzewski lauded Hawkins as a person away from the court as well as a coach on it prior to the game.

"It's an older bond. Johnny's family and ours we're like family," said Krzyzewski, per The Herald Sun's Steve Wiseman. "You can't get any closer than that. Johnny was the first great player to commit to me. He was as good a player as we've ever had at Duke and a great man. Johnny has got the whole package, the whole package."

That promised to make matters more difficult for the favorites, yet Duke was up for the challenge. Stanford kept the game close during the opening exchanges, but Duke started to open up a lead late in the first half. The Cardinal had a few moments during the second half when they chipped away at the Blue Devils' lead, but the difference between the two teams stayed mostly in the double digits.

When the momentum started going the Cardinal's way in the second half, ESPN's Dana O'Neil made what turned out to be a prophetic prediction:

Thanks to characteristic three-point shooting prowess and an imposing presence on the inside from freshman phenom Jahlil Okafor (10 points, 12 rebounds), it turned out to be a hard-fought but rather stress-free victory for the Blue Devils.

Duke Basketball alluded to the all-around impact Okafor can have on the offensive end, which revealed itself on one of the opening possessions:

Okafor's presence inside allowed the perimeter players to rise to the occasion. This was a phenomenon Grantland's Shane Ryan observed amid Duke's dominant performance:

"

The great thing about this game is that it’s showing future opponents that focusing on Okafor doesn’t get you anything vs. Duke.

— Shane Ryan (@ShaneRyanHere) November 23, 2014"

Duke guard Quinn Cook set the tone with a team-high 18 points and five assists, while Matt Jones had seven quick points off the bench in the first half for the winners.

Seth Davis of CBS Sports alluded to how important the veteran Cook is to Duke's cause this year:

Cook had a seasoned senior foil opposite him in Stanford star guard Chasson Randle, who hit six three-pointers versus UNLV in the previous contest. Randle again shouldered the scoring load for the Cardinal, leading all scorers with 22 points. Savvy big man Stefan Nastic also contributed for Stanford with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

David Aldridge of DukeReport.com thinks highly of Randle and his standing in the Pac-12:

Versatile first-year Duke star Justise Winslow also continued to live up to his massive hype. The freshman added 14 points and nine rebounds. Yahoo Sports' Jeff Eisenberg weighed in on Winslow's talent:

Turner Sports' Greg Anthony couldn't help but be impressed by Winslow's performance:

NBA executives believe in Winslow, per ESPN's Jeff Goodman:

The Cardinal boast decent depth, but Duke proved to have the superior personnel as it got deeper into its rotation. Jones provided a key spark to help the lead swell to double digits before halftime, while guard Rasheed Sulaimon was another scoring threat on the wing.

The Blue Devils deploy three true freshman starters (Okafor, Winslow and Tyus Jones), but all three are extremely talented for their young ages, and Duke has the bench to be a consistent contender throughout the season. That they're already jelling bodes well for whatever lies ahead.

What should be an easy home contest against Fordham looms on Duke's schedule this next Wednesday, while Stanford will seek to bounce back against Delaware at Maples Pavilion.