Duke Basketball: Biggest keys for Blue Devils in final month of 2019-20
Biggest key to Duke’s success
The most obvious key to the Blue Devil season is point guard Tre Jones. He won ACC player of the week for his efforts at BC and North Carolina and I thought it was telling what he said after a UNC game that he willed Duke to win almost by himself. It was probably the shining moment of his career thus far, but he downplayed it, saying there are bigger wins that those in his shoes have brought to Durham.
He was, of course, referencing his brother and noted stepper upper, Tyus Jones, who helped win Duke’s last national championship on his way to Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four. Tre’s play and will to win have to be stepped up to his brother’s levels and so far he is meeting those challenges. In that Carolina game, Jones scored 18 points in the last minute and overtime. UNC had 16 as a team.
His three-point shooting is still not a consistent weapon, but Duke has enough capable shooters where this does not need to be a focus for him. He does need to work on the turnovers, but with his increased usage and offensive importance, some more giveaways will be expected.
Tre needs to keep getting others involved, especially early in games so the role players get rolling and Vernon is establishing his dominance to the other team. When Joey Baker, Alex O’Connell or Matthew Hurt enter the game, Jones needs to see they find good, open looks for those first few attempts.
These players can be streaky and seeing the first few go in can do wonders for their confidence. He needs to continue to attack the basket and get to the free throw line where he has averaged almost six attempts a game while hitting 82% during Duke’s win streak.
During this span, Vernon Carey is sinking 77% of his free throws on almost nine attempts a game and the Blue Devils as a whole have shot 79%. Over the last four, pre-Notre Dame where they only attempted seven while making six, Duke has averaged 27 attempts per game, up from the 14 attempts during the first two wins of their streak.
Free throw shooting was a major problem for Duke going into their bye week and they have come out to make it a strength. Their 79% average would rank in the top four in the country. The turnovers continue to be a troubling trend, but Duke’s shooting and defense were able to offset the 21 they had against the Seminoles.
The Blue Devils were able to win at home, but just barely, and to a team they have owned over the last 25, winning 22 of them. Duke knows when they fail to focus on the fundamentals, it can prove fatal, as losses to Louisville and Clemson can attest.
They also know one bad game can send you home in bitter disappointment come March. The positive increase in free throws as a legitimate way to score points can further limit the turnover effects, but Duke has not proven itself as a consistent free or three-point shooting team, despite their recent uptick, to keep giving away opportunities.