An argument can be made that this was a “must-win” for Duke Basketball when they took on Notre Dame last night.
Considering that it was a loss to the No. 6 team in the country, it’s amazing to see how many negative headlines there were for Duke Basketball. The young team did lose at home by 15 points and the comments by head coach Mike Krzyzewski (and its timing) have really made folks wonder what the state of the program is at this current time.
The Blue Devils made the decision to focus solely on ACC play, canceling the Dec. 19 matchup against Gardner-Webb. But they had another issue to deal with, as five-star freshman forward Jalen Johnson suffered a foot injury and was declared out indefinitely. He’s out at least for another couple of weeks before being re-evaluated.
That’s a big blow for a reeling Duke team with little momentum, taking on a Notre Dame team that defeated Kentucky on the road last weekend, although they barely held on after taking a 22-point lead earlier. Still, this was as great an opportunity as ever for the Fighting Irish to get a big win at home.
Yet we should never underestimate Coach K and the Blue Devils. A lineup change and poor defense from Notre Dame was the catalyst for the best performance of the season for the team. They took the lead in the first half and held on the rest of the way, even with the Irish hanging in there for the most part.
Duke won 75-65, led by Matthew Hurt and his 18 points. He has become a consistent scorer and leader and is on his way towards an All-ACC spot. But the rest of the roster did well also in this game. Here are some reactions to the Blue Devils’ first victory in league play.