Duke Basketball bounced back with a good win over Bellarmine, that still had some flaws to work over.
Coming off a seven-point loss to the Spartans, it is no question that Mike Krzyzewski’s group was hungry for a win – and the Duke Blue Devils satisfied that need with a 76-54 romp over former Div. II national powerhouse and Div. I newcomer Bellarmine.
Firstly, all the credit in the world to the Knights. This was not meant to be their Div. I debut, but COVID-19 protocol forced them to postpone their first three games of the season – leaving them with the daunting task of taking on one of the most storied programs in college basketball history in their first-ever game as a Div. I institution and they did fairly well, all things considered.
Initially, this game was not close. The Blue Devils got out to a quick 15-2 lead seven minutes in and never trailed, but the Knights were able to close it to within three, 28-25, with over two minutes left in the first half. A ten-point halftime lead grew to as large as 24 in the second half, before Duke wrapped things up with a 22-point victory.
The Blue Devils were led by sophomore Matthew Hurt – more on him in a bit – on an incredible 24-point showing, while freshman Jaemyn Brakefield followed up on his solid display against the Spartans with a 12-point performance tonight behind a perfect 4-4 clip from beyond the arc.
I will reiterate what I wrote about Duke in an article prior to this game: this team is incredibly young, and that has been noticeable in their first three games. But, after struggling to put away Coppin State in their season debut and then falling to Michigan State, this is the most optimistic showing yet.
There are definitely some positives to take away from this game, but there are also some kinks that need to be figured out – and fast. Unfortunately, there really is not much room for error for the Blue Devils, considering they take on a top-ten Illinois squad next Tuesday in Durham – but identifying who they can rely on, and what issues they need – and can – fix is the first step towards having another successful season.