Duke Basketball: 5 Takeaways from Blue Devils' Opening Games

Duke is among the 211 Division I college basketball teams that have already suffered a loss in the 2015-16 season—something the Blue Devils aren't used to so soon in a campaign. But Tuesday's 74-63 loss to Kentucky in the Champions Classic actually marks the second time in three years the Blue Devils have lost this early, as they fell to Kansas in the same event in 2013.

At this point, the outcomes aren't as important as the takeaways, since they provide the first chance to see how a team operates as a unit and who figures to be the key contributors. We also see who is ready to shine and who has work to do in order to be counted on.

Using the performances from Duke's first three games of 2015-16, we've identified a few key takeaways. Check them out and then weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

Grayson Allen Isn't Unstoppable

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If Grayson Allen could play every game against the likes of Siena and Bryant, he'd be a shoo-in for National Player of the Year honors. Duke plays in the ACC and not the MAAC or Northeast Conference, so those first two opponents figure to be among the least challenging the Blue Devils play in 2015-16.

That also means his back-to-back career highs of 26 and 28 points, respectively, don't stand out as much as what he did in the loss to Kentucky. Rather, what he didn't do, which was make shots or drive to the basket with ease like he did against the first two foes.

Allen was 2-of-11 from the field and finished with six points, missing his first nine shots that included several unsuccessful drives to the basket. He also turned it over four times, compared to just three turnovers in Duke's first two games.

According to Laura Keeley of the News and Observer, Kentucky wanted Allen to drive at its sizable front line, and he played right into that trap. His moves were good enough to get past Siena's and Bryant's defenders, but Kentucky's were too fast and athletic.

Moving on, Allen will need to recognize when a certain aspect of his game isn't going to work and look elsewhere.

"Grayson Allen needs a floater in his game for the next level," ESPN's Jay Williams tweeted.

Play at the Point Has Been Lacking

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Duke has started sophomore Grayson Allen and junior Matt Jones in the backcourt for all three games this season, bringing freshman Derryck Thornton off the bench. Thornton was projected as the Blue Devils' point guard when he signed in the spring, yet in three games he's tallied only nine assists in 78 minutes.

As a team, the Blue Devils have assisted on just 35 of 88 made field goals, or 39.8 percent. Last season, with Tyus Jones holding doing the 1, 53.5 percent of Duke's baskets came off passes.

Thornton has the best pure point guard skills of anyone on the roster, but he must not be ready in coach Mike Krzyzewski's eyes to start and command the position on a full-time basis. He had three assists and four turnovers in 29 minutes against Kentucky with a few stretches of strong play, but he's still getting acclimated with the college game. So long as he remains a work in progress, Duke's offensive flow will remain in flux.

The Frontcourt Is an Old Man's Game

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Duke lost four starters from last year's title team, though the two most significant losses were in the frontcourt where Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow made for one of the program's most dominant duos in years. It was going to be hard for the newcomers to come close to performing at the level of their predecessors, and so far they've yet to supplant their upperclassman teammates.

The loss to Kentucky could have been much worse if not for the play of seniors Amile Jefferson and Marshall Plumlee. They combined for 28 points and 25 rebounds on 11-of-14 shooting, with each recording a double-double. It was Jefferson's third this season.

Plumlee had Duke's first nine points on Tuesday, going up against Kentucky's athletic bigs with some key early putbacks, while Jefferson had eight offensive boards to help with 23 second-chance points.

Freshman Chase Jeter and sophomore Sean Obi, a transfer from Rice who sat out last season, have been almost nonexistent up front. Jeter logged four minutes against Kentucky, during which he had three fouls and a turnover, while Obi didn't play for the second time this season and has logged only three minutes.

Brandon Ingram's Length Has Yet to Matter on Defense

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Much has been made of the 30 pounds that lanky freshman Brandon Ingram has put onto his 6'9" frame since arriving at Duke in the summer. This hasn't manifested in being a physical player to this point, however, as most of what Ingram has done on offense has involved him taking jumpers instead of trying to bang around or drive to the basket.

And as far as his defense goes, well...that's not something Ingram seems adept at or even interested in at this point.

Kentucky's perimeter players dribbled past him without much (if any) resistance, and this popped up on occasion against Siena and Bryant as well. Listed as a forward but as someone who fancies himself more like a guard, Ingram has a long way to go before he can be trusted guarding on the perimeter. For now, Duke needs to hide him on defense.

Matt Jones Is This Year's Quinn Cook

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Every team needs a leader, and Matt Jones has the early lead on the battle to be the player Duke rallies around in 2015-16.

Through three games, the junior guard has averaged 15 points on 57.1 percent shooting, making nine of 16 three-point shots. The rest of the Blue Devils are shooting 31.3 percent from outside.

The 6'5" Jones made four spot starts as a freshman and moved into the lineup down the stretch last season when Justise Winslow shifted from the 3 to the 4. In each of those seasons Jones was a supporting player, one who filled a role and did only what was asked of him.

This season, though, he has stepped up to be the Blue Devils' driving force, linking their young backcourt with a front line that has had to rely much more on veterans than expected. It's similar to the role Quinn Cook played as the lone upperclassman starter in 2014-15, when he was in there to make the others better but could also take over if necessary.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.