Duke Basketball: 3 takeaways from bounceback win over Notre Dame Fighting Irish

1. How Duke was able to replace Jalen Johnson’s production

Although he hasn’t looked as good as on opening night, Johnson still was the team’s third-leading scorer (11.5 ppg) and the top rebounder at 8.3 rpg. He played nearly 24 ppg and was the most consistent freshman on the roster. Losing him was a blow but the Blue Devils used a collective effort to replace Johnson.

The player who got the start for Johnson was Patrick Tape, the Columbia grad transfer who has played just seven minutes and scored two points so far this season. He ended up playing nine minutes and making one field goal in the game. Freshman center Mark Williams got eight minutes off the bench and scored four points, more than he normally plays as well.

They weren’t a negative but it was clear that Coach K is most comfortable with Hurt at the center position, and going small overall. That was the best lineup in this game, with Jaemyn Brakefield playing a season-high 24 minutes off the bench and producing 10 points and five rebounds, and making both of his three-point attempts. He’s been impressive in limited minutes and looks to be the biggest beneficiary of playing time with Johnson out.

What’s also clear is that sophomore forward Wendell Moore is still in the dog house, playing just nine minutes and scoring zero points. If he’s not going to be part of the main rotation now, then it’s likely that this will be his role for the rest of the season, especially if Brakefield continues to impress.