Duke Basketball: Biggest keys for Blue Devils in final month of 2019-20
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 19: Jordan Goldwire #14 of the Duke Blue Devils (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Jordan Goldwire
Goldwire is emblematic of the unsung players that make Duke teams successful year after year. Not everybody can be a five star top recruit and Duke does not recruit like that. Yes, they get their fair share of the nation’s top players year after year, but they also go after guys that will provide leadership and effort that is developed over four years in Durham.
His first year at Duke saw a tentative three-star freshman playing 6.5 minutes a game with: 1-pt .5-reb .9-ast .3-stl on 32% FG and 26% from three. This season during 22.5 minutes of game action, Goldwire is averaging: 4.4-pts 2.3-reb 2.3-ast 1.5-stl on 49% FG and 39% from three.
More important than the numbers are the trust that Coach K has in Goldwire to run the point with or without Jones on the floor. He has become a reliable starter with one of best assist-to-turnover ratios in the ACC.
The next step for Goldwire to take is becoming a consistent player at home and on the road. He plays solid defense regardless of venue, but in his last six games, we can see the severe dichotomy of his play in and out of the friendly confines of Cameron Indoor stadium.
He has played three home games during this span where he averages 11.6-pts 2.3-reb 1.3-ast 1.3-stl in 30 minutes of playing time. In the three away games, Goldwire has had totals of 2 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 steals in just under 21 minutes played.
Despite his frequent insertion into Duke’s starting lineups, the stats above indicate the very definition of a role player, which he is. The key for Goldwire is to become a role player extraordinaire. To do this he needs to play with the same offensive intensity and confidence he does in Durham.
Defense is said to travel, but in March and playing away from Duke’s gym, Goldwire will need to bring that same home cooking on the offensive end to keep his valuable contributions as high as they can be and himself on the floor.