Duke basketball: Still favorites even if they lose to Michigan State
Duke has been dubbed the title favorite and the No. 1 team in the country to start out the season. They could get blown out by Michigan State, and the safe bet should still go towards Coach K and his team.
After a couple of easy games to warm them up against Elon and Utah Valley, we’re starting to get some questions answered about the Duke Blue Devils. Marvin Bagley is clearly the star of the team, as the versatile forward has averaged 24.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in his first two games, both best for Duke.
Grayson Allen looks rejuvenated after struggling last season as the “point guard” of the team. Now back to his original position as the shooting guard, Allen has excelled playing off the ball the tune of 20.0 ppg. His outstanding shot is also back, hitting ten of his first 15 shots to start out.
Gary Trent Jr. has been a consistent presence alongside the perimeter, averaging 17.0 ppg while playing and guarding three different positions on the court.
The guy who really makes the Blue Devils a title contender is Trevon Duval, who has 20 assists to just one turnover so far this season. He makes not only Allen’s job easy, but sets everyone else for success.
But there are still some questions needed to be answered. These four along with Wendell Carter will take up the starting five, but what about the rest of the rotation? Huge games like this are when we really see who the coach trusts and, as of right now, who is guaranteed to play. There won’t be garbage available, but foul trouble could force this hand.
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Michigan State and Duke probably have the highest amount of talent up and down the rosters, but the Spartans have one giant advantage over the Blue Devils… experience.
If you look at Duke’s roster, the only player who’s played more than 20 college basketball games in the expected rotation is Allen. The Spartans are the complete opposite, with touted freshman forward Jaren Jackson Jr. the only new face expected to get a lot of minutes. They even get a pair of senior bigs back from injury in Ben Carter and Gavin Schilling.
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My main point is Tom Izzo knows what the identity of his team is and more or less has a few kinks to work out. They would be considered more of a “win-now” team. It’s that same experience along with their depth that makes them such a favorite.
Duke, however, does not, putting them at a big-time disadvantage playing in just their third game of the season. The main rotation and allotted minutes are nowhere near set, and nerves could set in, creating poor choices and foul trouble. That could play into the hands of a very deep Spartans squad if the whistle blows a lot.
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Ultimately Duke could lose the game and be a completely different team by the time March comes around. They also could win this game and flame out just months later. But one thing is for sure, there is no higher ceiling in the country than Duke, and they’ll be growing throughout the season. Tuesday night will just the first step in said growth.