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Duke Basketball: Takeaways from Blue Devils win over Northwest Missouri State

By Daniel Benjamin

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 16: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after a play against the Florida State Seminoles during the championship game of the 2019 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 16: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after a play against the Florida State Seminoles during the championship game of the 2019 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 31: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans is defended by Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils during the first half in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 31: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans is defended by Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils during the first half in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

3. Offensive rebounding is going to a strength

On a positive note, the Blue Devils grabbed 20 offensive rebounds or an incredible 44.4% of the offensive rebound opportunities. They were able to convert those chances into 20 points. However, the Devils missed a lot of bunnies. Thus, they left a lot of points on the table.

Offensive rebounding will be a strength for Duke in 2019-20. The Blue Devils have a lot of length and athleticism with Carey,  DeLaurier, and Hurt. Wendell Moore is also very athletic, and Jack White plays hard and is a go-getter.

White led the way against NW Missouri State with five offensive caroms. Moore, Hurt, and DeLauier chipped in with three rebounds on the offensive end.

4. Tre Jones is going to have to carry the team

It is well known that Jones is going to have to be a leader this year with the Blue Devils being so young. The 6-3 sophomore point guard is the most experienced player on the team’s roster as he registered 1250 minutes in 36 starts last year. He is an excellent playmaker and distributor, but shooting — particularly from beyond the arc — is an area where he needs to continue to improve.

Jones showed an increased aggressiveness against the Bearcats. With it likely to take time for the freshmen to get comfortable with the pace of the collegiate game, Jones will likely have to take this approach quite a bit at least in the early going.

The Minnesota native led the team with 18 points on 6 of 15 shooting (0-for-3 3pters) from the floor and 6 of 8 from the free-throw line. Jones, who tallied 10 points in the first half, also had two assists and drew seven fouls.

The 19-year-old scored in double-figures 18 times, with a career-high 22 coming against Virginia Tech in the NCAA Tournament, last year. Jones also dished out at least seven dimes on nine occasions.

Regardless of his role offensively on a given night, Jones will be counted on defensively. He is an outstanding individual and team defender. Jones pulled down four defensive rebounds, came up with two steals, and blocked a shot in the opening exhibition game. Jones finished the game with a plus-9 rating.

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