Coach K Says Duke 'Not Competitive' in Blowout Loss vs. NC State

No. 6 Duke men's basketball entered its road game against unranked NC State on Wednesday with a 22-3 overall record and 12-2 mark in ACC play, but the Blue Devils emerged with a stunning 88-66 loss in which they trailed wire-to-wire.

After the game, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski honestly assessed his team's performance.

"Sometimes when you've eaten a lot, you're not as hungry," he said postgame, per ESPN's David M. Hale.

"Our team obviously tonight didn't feel like they needed the win. You have to stay hungry while you're winning at that level because we're not a team at that level, we've just won that many games and tonight we were not competitive."

The Blue Devils were winners of seven straight, including a 70-65 victory over No. 8 Florida State. But they left Raleigh, North Carolina, with their third loss against an unranked team this season.

Almost nothing went right for Duke outside the performance of freshman big man Vernon Carey Jr., who posted 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting, 12 rebounds and three blocks.

The rest of the Blue Devils shot just 32.7 percent from the field. The Blue Devils also went 4-of-17 from three-point range and 10-of-22 from the free-throw line.

Poor shooting nights can happen to the best of teams, but the Blue Devils' defense faltered in the face of a potent NC State offensive attack that featured three players with 21 or more points, led by Markell Johnson's 28.

All three of Duke's losses to unranked teams have a common theme: The opposition's offense plays far better than expected, and at least one player gives the Blue Devils significant problems.

Of note, Stephen F. Austin's Kevon Harris scored 26 points in an 85-83 overtime road win over Duke, and Aamir Simms and Tevin Mack combined for 47 points in Clemson's 79-70 victory.

Duke is still one of the game's best defensive teams, with KenPom.com ranking the school seventh in efficiency on that end. But the upset losses that dot Duke's schedule have to be at least a bit concerning.

"It happens," Krzyzewski said after the NC State loss. "This isn't an Xbox game. It's a human being game."

Duke is a young team: Four of its top six scorers are freshmen, and the other two are sophomores.

Growing pains in the midst of the season shouldn't be surprising, but the result from Wednesday still is considering Duke was an eight-point favorite heading into the night, per B/R Betting.

Still, Duke is as capable of winning this year's national championship as anyone in a wide-open race for the title.

The Blue Devils are a well-rounded bunch and just one of three schools that rank top 11 in offensive and defensive efficiency, per KenPom. Kansas and San Diego State are the others.