Duke Basketball: Biggest Takeaways from Showdown with UNC

There is something truly beautiful about college basketball at its very best, and that is exactly what fans were treated to during Duke’s 92-90 victory over archrival North Carolina Wednesday.

You couldn’t have scripted a better scene—the Cameron Crazies were at their craziest, the tempo was set at a breakneck speed, the coaches on the sidelines were all-time legends and the players put on an absolute show. It was only fitting that the game went into overtime, because everyone involved deserved a little bit extra.

While the most important thing for the Blue Devils was to walk away with their ninth win in 12 tries against the hated Tar Heels, there were some lessons to be learned from the outcome moving forward into March.

Here is a look at a few of them.

Interior Defense Is a Concern

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

It wasn’t all good news for Duke during Wednesday’s game, and it actually almost lost because it simply couldn’t stop the Tar Heels down low. 

ESPN Stats & Info painted the picture:

After Jahlil Okafor hurt his ankle late in the first half, North Carolina pounded the ball into the paint for the remainder of the game. Okafor isn’t exactly known for his lockdown defense as it is, and he was clearly hobbled during the final 20 minutes of regulation and overtime. 

The result was an extended North Carolina run that helped the Tar Heels turn an early 13-point deficit into a 10-point lead before they ultimately collapsed. Kennedy Meeks, Brice Johnson, J.P. Tokoto and Isaiah Hicks all scored in double figures, and North Carolina as a team hauled in 19 offensive rebounds.

If the Blue Devils are going to lose in the NCAA tournament, it will likely be because of their lackluster interior defense. The performance fans saw Wednesday will certainly not cut it against a team such as Kentucky, which is loaded with elite big men.

Tyus Jones is Ready for Prime Time

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Thanks to that porous interior defense, the Blue Devils needed someone to play the role of hero in the final minutes. That someone was freshman Tyus Jones.

Jones scored an astounding nine points in the final minute-and-a-half and almost single-handedly carried his team back from what looked to be an insurmountable deficit. He became the first Duke player to score 22 points, tally eight assists and grab seven rebounds against the Tar Heels since the NCAA made assists an official statistic in the 1983-84 campaign, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski discussed the Jones-inspired comeback, via ESPN.com: "It's not like we drew up anything. When they came back, that was on them. We just said, 'Play, man. Follow your instincts and play.' And they did."

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

It is easy to forget that Jones was making plans for the senior prom less than a calendar year ago.

He didn’t shrink from the moment despite his freshman status and took over one of the most memorable Duke-North Carolina showdowns in recent memory. You can’t ask for a much bigger stage than that when it comes to college basketball, and that confidence and ability to come through in the clutch in tense moments will be critical in March. 

The Blue Devils should have all the trust in the world when it comes to their primary ball-handler in the do-or-die moments of the Big Dance.

Quinn Cook’s Senior Leadership Will Carry Blue Devils in March

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Jones wasn’t the only Duke guard who made big plays during Wednesday’s dramatic win.

Quinn Cook finished with 22 points and connected on six three-pointers, but his impact went beyond the box score. Every time it looked like North Carolina was set to pull away, Cook drilled a big three-pointer or urged the crowd to get involved. His passion fueled the squad for extended stretches, and he consistently implored his teammates to keep pushing when the Tar Heels had momentum. 

Duke Basketball (from The Chronicle) also noted that he made North Carolina pay for early double-teams on Okafor, which opened up more space for the big man to make plays in overtime:

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Cook’s performance was his late defense on Marcus Paige. Cook is not exactly known for his defensive prowess, but he shadowed Paige on a couple of late possessions, including North Carolina’s final scoring attempt at the end of regulation. 

In all, the Blue Devils’ starting backcourt of Jones and Cook finished with 44 points compared to the seven that North Carolina’s (Paige of Justin Jackson) scored.

Depth is a Concern

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

There isn’t much more that can be said about Duke’s lack of depth, but it is certainly a concern heading into March Madness.

Now that Rasheed Sulaimon is no longer on the roster, the Blue Devils only have eight scholarship players. One critical injury, like the one that almost happened to Okafor Wednesday, could ruin any national title hopes Krzyzewski’s squad has this season.

Six guys on Duke played 27 minutes or more, while Marshall Plumlee and Grayson Allen both played seven minutes or less. Cook finished with 45 minutes, Jones had 43 and Okafor had 41. The fact that Okafor played that much on a hobbled ankle is a testament to how little Coach K trusts his bench in critical moments. 

Between potential fatigue, injury concerns and the lack of any consistent bench production outside of Matt Jones, it is easy to worry about the depth on this team. Laura Keeley of the Raleigh News & Observer and the Charlotte Observer also pointed out another side effect of no depth Blue Devils fans should fear:

As long as Duke’s regulars stay healthy and avoid any type of wall from fatigue, heavy minutes shouldn’t be that much of a problem. Still, that is a very narrow tight rope to walk, especially when the Blue Devils will be asked to play two games in three days on three consecutive weekends in the NCAA tournament if they hope to win the national title.

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