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Duke Basketball: 3 takeaways from Blue Devils win over Princeton

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 18: RJ Barrett #5 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after a dunk against the Princeton Tigers during the second half of their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 18, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 101-50. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 18: RJ Barrett #5 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after a dunk against the Princeton Tigers during the second half of their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 18, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 101-50. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 18: RJ Barrett #5 of the Duke Blue Devils drives past Jaelin Llewellyn #0 of the Princeton Tigers during the first half of their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 18, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 18: RJ Barrett #5 of the Duke Blue Devils drives past Jaelin Llewellyn #0 of the Princeton Tigers during the first half of their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 18, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

1. A tale of two halves for R.J Barrett

The week after the Maui Invitational Championship Barrett was heavily criticized for taking the last multiple attempts and missing them versus Gonzaga. Barrett immediately got the label of being a “volume shooter” and that he didn’t have the best shot selection.

As seen from Brant Wilkerson’s tweet, Barrett did take a large number of shots early in the year. However, after the criticism of playing “hero ball” and being a “volume shooter” – Barrett was able to break that mold. He is now climbing up even higher on draft boards and player of the year rankings after becoming more efficient.

The first half for Barrett versus the Tigers felt like the first six games of the season. Barrett was content shooting from the three-point line, as he went zero of three in the first half from behind the arc. Once he decided to start penetrating the paint he was able to start to find an offense rhythm. Barrett finished the first half with 13 points, shooting five of eleven from the floor.

The second half felt like the last few games for Barrett and he progressed back into his efficient form. Barrett scored 14 points in the second half, but this time he shot an efficient six of seven from the floor. Barrett finished the night with 27 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a steal.