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No. 7 Virginia vs Duke: 5 key storylines for 2020-21 ACC Basketball matchup

By Tristan Freeman

Dec 16, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; The Duke Blue Devils celebrate in the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 16, 2020; South Bend, Indiana, USA; The Duke Blue Devils celebrate in the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Duke Blue Devils forward Jalen Johnson Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Duke Blue Devils forward Jalen Johnson Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Duke moving on without Jalen Johnson

One of the biggest stories in college basketball this week was the announcement that five-star freshman forward Jalen Johnson would opt out the rest of the season for Duke. It ends an up and down campaign that started with 19 points and 19 rebounds against Coppin State and finished with just eight minutes played in a win over NC State.

Johnson averaged 11.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg, and 2.2 apg and showed signs of being an offensive star, hence why he’s a projected lottery pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. However, the defense at times was lackluster and Johnson’s shooting issues could clog up the offense. Still, this is a Blue Devils squad that can’t afford to lose such a talent, and Virginia is a different team than either Wake Forest or a depleted NC State team right now.

Jalen Johnson quit on Duke Basketball. light. Related Story

The good news for Duke is that they’ve gotten Wendell Moore somewhat back into form. He’s still averaging less than 10 ppg for the season but has been inserted back into the starting lineup and given the team five double-digit performances in the past six games.

Johnson’s departure also opens up opportunities for bench players Joey Baker and Jaemyn Brakefield. Those two combined to play for 33 minutes and produced 19 points. Baker hit four three-pointers, while the freshman forward Brakefield had five rebounds and four assists. Them, along with another forward in Henry Coleman will have to collectively make up for Johnson’s lost production, and even a little more since what he did didn’t help Duke win anyway. Against Virginia, that’s an absolute must.