Carey Jr. powers Duke over Cal at 2K Empire Classic at MSG

And he also knows that as the highest-rated recruit for Duke basketball this season, he was going to face a lot of scrutiny, especially when he chose jersey No.1, worn by a certain dude named Zion last season.

Given all that, maybe the expectations for Carey’s impact on the Blue Devils right away were a little too high. But Thursday night he started to show that he just might be capable of being a dominant big man, the latest in a long, long line at Duke.

Carey single-handedly equaled California’s output in the first half, exploding for 21 points and seven rebounds in the opening 20 minutes as Duke cruised past Cal, 87-52 in the 2K Empire Classic. The Blue Devils (5-0), playing their first game this season as the No.1-ranked team in the AP poll, struggled for 10 minutes Thursday but then pulled away from an overmatched Cal team that also came in unbeaten.

“I just was staying aggressive, that’s my mentality really,” Carey said. “After the 10 th point I felt like after that they couldn’t do anything with me down low.”

Carey finished with a career-high 31 points and 12 rebounds, and looked comfortable from inside the paint and out on the perimeter.

The 6-foot-10 Floridian was unstoppable in the first half, punctuating his offensive outburst with a 3-pointer from the top of key with 1:34 left that sent the Duke fans in the crowd to their feet.

Carey smiled thinking about that one.

“Yeah, I’m usually inside so nobody expects me to shoot that,” he said. “I knew I could shoot that and Iwas wide open, so that was nice.”

Maybe his best move come on an and-one with 8:51 left in the half when he grabbed three rebounds on the same play before putting in a layup.

“He’s a menace, man, just a menace,” Cassius Stanley said of his fellow freshman. “He’s phenomenal. He works so hard and it’s all coming out of him. We’re just feeding off him.”

But more than just the scoring, Carey looked comfortable on defense, seeming to talk more with his teammates, something Coach K constantly stresses to his freshmen.

Carey also made 8-of-9 free throws, a big improvement from his 11-for-20 performance from the line so far in 2019-20.

Carey’s season high was 20 coming into Thursday, but he blew past that by halftime, and continued his outstanding play after the break. A strong three-point play on a drive to the basket midway through the half was preceded by a powerful dunk.

“He’s making passes, putting the ball on the floor, playing through contact, has good touch, and our guys are looking for him,” Mike Krzyzewski said. “He’s the focal point of our offense right now.

Krzyzewski went as far as to say Carey has been at an even higher level than he thought.

“His offense has been outstanding, not good,” Krzyzewski said. “But the defense has gotten better as we move along.”

Tre Jones had eight points and seven assists for Duke in Thursday’s rout, while Cassius Stanley chipped in 11 points.

COACH K STILL JUGGLING STARTING LINEUP: Some years, Mike Krzyzewski has got his starting lineup figured out by late October.

Other years, like this one, it’s Thanksgiving and he’s still tinkering with which fivesome will work best.

Thursday night Coach K used his fourth different lineup in five games, giving Tre Jones, Cassius Stanley, Matthew Hurt, Carey Jr. and Wendell Moore Jr. the chance to open the game.

“We’re starting different people; It’s not a popularity contest, or whose mother writes me,” Krzyzewski said. “But he played well; he guarded (Cal star Matt Bradley) and did a good job. Wendell can be a heck of a player and a defender for us.”

WENDELL MOORE JR. SOLID IN FIRST START: Speaking of lineups, Wendell Moore Jr. played well in his first start, enjoying a redemption of sorts at Madison Square Garden.

Moore, the 6-foot-6 swingman out of Charlotte, had a forgettable debut at MSG in the season opener three weeks ago, committing four turnovers and shooting 1-for-6 in the Blue Devils’ win over Kansas in the Champions Classic.

But he looked much more comfortable Thursday, and seems to be settling into a role as a slasher who can also hit from outside.

Moore sank a 3-pointer from the right wing in the first three minutes, then hit a slashing drive to the hoop midway through the half.

Moore finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes, and played solid defense on Cal’s perimeter players as well.

The freshman said he found out he’d be starting Thursday earlier in the week when Duke started going over its scouting reports, and said he tried not to get too excited.

“I just felt ready to go, ready to make the best of my opportunity.”

Moore said he didn’t think too much about his difficult game against Kansas after it was over.

“I forgot it quick, but at the same time I viewed (tonight) as redemption,” Moore said. “Coming back to the Garden I wanted to show what I could do a little bit, and so coming out here I felt great.”

DUKE DEFENSE STRONG: For the 16 th game in a row Duke held its opponent under 50 percent from the field, as the Bears sank 37 percent Thursday night.

Duke forced 14 turnovers, and Moore said a key to the defensive intensity so far this season has been communication.

“Just effort and energy,” Moore said. “Our communication has been so good, we’re all connected on one string.”

“We’ve spent the whole fall on defense, because we have depth,” Krzyzewski said. “When you have Tre, and Cassius and Wendell out there, you have three gifted defenders. And Jack (White) and Matt (Hurt) covered the floor well tonight, too.

DUKE-GEORGETOWN HISTORY: Tonight the Blue Devils face a Georgetown team that has quietly rebuilt very quickly under former NBA legend Patrick Ewing. The Hoyas beat No. 22 Texas Thursday night to move to 4-1, with ex-N.C. State forward Omar Yurtseven one of four Hoyas in double figures.

Duke and Georgetown last played four years ago in an 86-84 thriller here at MSG, with Grayson Allen scoring 32 points.

But how long ago does that game seem? Derryck Thornton scored 14 for the Blue Devils.

That was 12 teams ago for him, wasn’t it?

Krzyzewski said Hoyas coach Patrick Ewing was “a really close friend,” and said how happy he was that Ewing has made the transition from great player to coach.

Talking about MSG, Krzyzewski said “we’re in Patrick’s house here, he’s won a lot of big games in this building. I just hope he doesn’t win another one tomorrow night.”