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Duke Basketball: Takeaways from Michigan State loss in 2020 Champions Classic

By Matthew Travis

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 07: The Duke Blue Devils mascot performs during the first half of their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 07, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 07: The Duke Blue Devils mascot performs during the first half of their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 07, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Matthew Hurt Duke Basketball (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Matthew Hurt Duke Basketball (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

Need Someone to Emerge as the Go-To Guy

Through two games for Duke this season, the Blue Devils haven’t had anyone emerge as someone they can feed time and time again on offense. In the first game against Coppin State, Duke saw four players notch double-digit points with DJ Steward and Jalen Johnson leading the way as they scored 24 and 19 respectively.

In game two, Duke still had four players score double-digits, but the leaders from game one (Steward and Johnson) scored only six and 11 respectively while Matthew Hurt led the way with 21 points after scoring 12 in the first game of the season.

All great teams have a player who can be consistent night-in and night-out and so far Duke hasn’t had that player emerge. After the first game, everyone thought it would be Jalen Johnson as he went for 19 points, 19 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks on 8-8 shooting, but in game two he went for 11 points, four rebounds, one assist, and two blocks with a steal as well, on 4-11 shooting.

Not a bad game line but most were expecting more out of the freshman following his big debut. One player who has stepped up, going for a combined 33 points, 20 rebounds, one assist, and a steal, is Matthew Hurt.

Hurt has been the closest to a go-to guy Duke has had through two games as he led the Blue Devils in scoring in their second game against Michigan State. Hurt is shooting well from beyond the arc too, making three of his eight total three-point attempts.

Hurt has the potential to lead the Blue Devils, but the question is, can he do it consistently? Despite averaging 20.5 minutes per game and starting in 22 of the 31 games he played in last season, Hurt averaged only 9.7 points per game. Granted he was playing alongside Tre Jones, Vernon Carey, and Cassius Stanley, but still.

Overall, Duke doesn’t have a clear star through two games this season, and if they want to be a top team in the nation, someone needs to step up and fulfill that role, and I think it will be either Jalen Johnson or Matthew Hurt.

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