Duke entered Tuesday’s game at Virginia Tech the nation’s only undefeated team in “true road games.” It left the contest 7-1, with the homesteading Hokies pulling off a 77-72 upset of the Blue Devils.
Duke’s last six games have been considered the toughest stretch in the country and with Zion Williamson going down to injury early against North Carolina, the last three grew exponentially more difficult.
Yes, RJ Barrett is one of the nation’s most elite scorers, and a very effective rebounder and passer. Tre Jones is the floor general, both offensively and defensively. Cam Reddish has come into his own, and emerged as a serious threat to score the basketball.
But Williamson’s absence has proven to be hard to overcome. Both UNC and Virginia Tech took advantage of the opportunity dealt them, and it ultimately won each team a victory over the Blue Devils.
Virginia Tech fed its big man, Kerry Blackshear, and the Hokies’ top post presence responded, scoring 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds. He attacked the basket relentlessly, and neither Marques Bolden nor Javin DeLaurier found a way to provide any resistance.
Blackshear simply backed them into the post, and made decisive moves. And they rarely went away from the approach.
The result was not only a huge effort from Blackshear, but a lot of opportunities for his teammates. Duke failed to eliminate passing lanes, open looks and transition offense.
Ahmed Hill was a recipient of the attention given to Blackshear, as he finished with 17 points. Nickel Alexander and Ty Outlaw also rose to the occasion, scoring 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Defensively, it was perhaps the Blue Devils worst performance of the season.
While the inability to keep Blackshear in check was undoubtedly a huge component of Duke’s defensive struggles, the biggest issue for the Blue Devils was their lack of forced turnovers.
Virginia Tech turned the ball over just six times, with Duke managing only one steal. The Blue Devils entered the game averaging 10.2 steals per game, while forcing 15.6 turnovers. Those opponent miscues led to 20.2 points per game for Duke.
Tonight, Blue Devils managed just six points off the Hokies’ six turnovers.
Though Duke has certainly improved in its halfcourt offense, transition offense is what makes this team go. Without it, the Blue Devils struggle to win games.
In addition to Duke’s problems defensively, for nearly the entire first half, the only Blue Devil with any kind of offensive success was Reddish, who posted 12 points before the break, and 17 for the game.
Barrett, who was not feeling well, was noticeably less aggressive and somewhat sluggish during the first 20 minutes. With Williamson out, Duke needed Barrett to bear more of the offensive burden. Instead, he did not make his first field goal until two seconds before the halftime buzzer.
The freshman seemed to gather himself during the second half, where he started to look more like himself, scoring 17 points. He finished the game with 21 to lead Duke, but it was not enough to overcome the Blue Devils’ defensive woes.
Duke’s only other double figure scorer was Bolden, who posted a season-high 14 points.
Ultimately, Blackshear’s ability to dominate the paint with no answer from Duke, and the disappearance of the Blue Devils’ pressure defense cost them on the road at Virginia Tech once again.
