Duke Basketball: Biggest Things We've Learned About Blue Devils in 2015-16

Duke returned from a week-long hiatus on Tuesday to post a critical 80-71 victory at Georgia Tech, just its second win in the past six games. The time off certainly helped the Blue Devils in terms of their energy level, though so did sophomore Grayson Allen scoring 16 of his game-high 27 points in the second half.

This win told us some things about Duke and how it's going to approach the final stretch of the regular season as well as the postseason. Some of that fits with what we've learned about this team over the course of the season, while there were a few new wrinkles (and not just because assistant Jeff Capel stepped in for an under-the-weather Mike Krzyzewski on the sideline).

Take a look at the biggest things we've come to learn about the Blue Devils during the 2015-16 season.

Grayson Allen Is the Team Leader

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Sophomore guard Grayson Allen recorded his 10th game with at least 20 points on Tuesday, and Duke needed every one of his 27 in order to get the win at Georgia Tech. As has been the case almost all season, the Blue Devils are heavily reliant on Allen's scoring and feed off his intensity.

The 6'5” Allen is averaging 20.6 points per game, which is tops on the team, and with seven more three-pointers on Tuesday, he has 46 this season. Duke is 1-3 when he fails to shoot 40 percent from the field.

He's also the Blue Devils' best distributor, averaging 3.7 assists per game. That speaks to some of the team's struggles, as the lack of a true point guard has forced Allen to create for others instead of just finding his own shot.

Brandon Ingram Can Do More Than Score

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Brandon Ingram has shown the most in-season development of any Duke player, with the 6'9” freshman forward displaying an all-around game that isn't entirely dependent on putting up points. This was evident on Tuesday, as an off shooting night (he was 3-of-15 from the field) was offset by 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.

It was Ingram's fifth double-double of the season, and all of them have come since he was moved into Amile Jefferson's power forward spot in mid-December. Though rebounding isn't his forte, Ingram has averaged 7.7 boards per game in ACC play, second to center Marshall Plumlee's 9.6 per game.

Ingram also has 35 blocked shots, and he's turning it over only 1.8 times per game.

Amile Jefferson Was the Player Duke Could Least Afford to Lose

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Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski realized early on that some players who were projected to play significant roles this season weren't going to be ready for major minutes, which placed added importance on the starters' ability to carry the load. And then Amile Jefferson injured his foot, creating a doomsday scenario that turned an already thin rotation into one that had no more room for error.

Laura Keeley of the News & Observer tweeted Tuesday that Jefferson has returned to wearing a boot on his injured foot, and the timetable for his return is still uncertain. It won't be for Duke's next two games, Saturday and Monday at home.

Jefferson's absence has forced Brandon Ingram to move from his natural spot at the 3 into the frontcourt, alongside center Marshall Plumlee, and Duke now uses a three-guard lineup. There's a reserve available for the backcourt, but not one who can be relied on to spell Ingram or Plumlee.

The Bench Is Just for Show

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Freshmen Luke Kennard and Derryck Thornton have taken turns starting alongside sophomore Grayson Allen and junior Matt Jones in the backcourt, with Thornton earning his 11th start on Tuesday. He had 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, his best game since ACC play began on Jan. 2.

Being able to alternate between those two and have them spell Allen and Jones is the closest thing the Blue Devils have to a luxury this season. That's because the fourth guard is the extent of Duke's bench.

Freshman Chase Jeter's eight minutes spelling the frontcourt on Tuesday tied his longest total in the ACC, and freshman Antonio Vrankovic made only his fifth appearance of the season (albeit for one minute). Sean Obi, a sophomore transfer from Rice, has played in only nine games and just four in the conference.

Duke has never been known for going deep into the bench, outside of garbage time. But this year, it's been to the extreme.

The Energy Isn't Boundless

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After taking a week to rest and recuperate, Duke showed some of its highest levels of energy in weeks on Tuesday. But even that didn't last. A huge second-half surge that built a 17-point lead with 5:35 left in the game began to fade as fatigue set in.

So it goes when only six players log meaningful minutes.

Duke went back to a man-to-man defense in the second half against Georgia Tech, since its zone (implemented more to preserve energy than anything else) was not doing the job. But while that helped the Blue Devils win the game, they can't do that every night without enough time to rest.

The next game is Saturday, but then another comes barely 48 hours later. Duke's last two games played on such short rest, against Syracuse and Miami, resulted in two of its worst offensive performances of 2015-16.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.