Duke Basketball: Early observations of the Blue Devils heading into Maui

The other guys are filling their roles

It’s easy to forget about the rest of the Blue Devils with their highlight reel trio of freshmen, but freshman Tre Jones, juniors Marques Bolden and Jack White and sophomore Alex O’Connell have filled their roles quite well.

Jones leads the team in assists per game with 7.3 while also putting up 5.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 3-of-5 from 3-point range through his first three games. Bolden has put up quality numbers at the starting center position in his junior season, averaging 5.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game in 19.7 minutes of action.

White has been their unsung hero in the frontcourt off the bench. He’s put up 8.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest as the proverbial sixth man of this squad. O’Connell is producing 6.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in 14.0 minutes of play. He’s shooting 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) off the bench in limited minutes, something that could come in handy deep into the season.

The role players on the Blue Devils roster have really complemented what their star players can do on both ends. They’ll have their challenges in Maui but their experience should come in handy when it matters in the clutch.