Sean Stewart keeps coming on strong

Raleigh — Sean Stewart was wrapping up his hallway media session at PNC Arena, but not before Ryan Young could snag a picture of the scrum of reporters and cameras around the Duke freshman.

“I gotta get a photo,” Young deadpanned.

So is life for Stewart after his breakout performance in Duke’s 79-64 road win against N.C. State on Monday evening. In a season-high 26 minutes, the bouncy forward notched 12 points on 5-for-7 from the field, five rebounds (four of which were offensive, contributing to a season-high 19 for the Blue Devils) and a season-best three blocks.

On a night when N.C. State allowed DJ Burns Jr. to go to work, and with Kyle Filipowski and Young racking up two fouls each in the first half, Stewart’s efforts were sorely needed.

“The thing Sean did, he just competed, man,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “Burns is a handful, obviously.”

Burns was a handful all night long, finishing with a season-high 27 points on 12 of 19 from the floor. Stewart, though, made things just a smidge more difficult for the lefty, forcing Burns to work to get into his patented hook shots.

He even forced a turnover by fronting Burns and deflecting Casey Morsell’s entry pass to the big man. Stewart’s energy was contagious; the play, which occurred right in front of the Blue Devil bench, got his teammates and assistant coaches out of their seats and engendered a fist-pump and point from Scheyer.

“Well, shit. He was good,” N.C. State head coach Kevin Keatts said, throwing the stat-sheet in mocking disgust. “He had four offensive rebounds, that’s an impact to me. … He’s super athletic, plays his role, understands it, does a good job.”

Stewart’s impact was not limited to hustle stats and making life tougher for Burns. His emphatic block of Dennis Parker Jr. near the 11:30 mark of the first half and a 1:19 span that saw him notch four points and an assist on a TJ Power corner triple.

The 19-year-old Energizer Bunny showed there are layers to his game. Thanks to that, the Blue Devils (24-6, 15-4 ACC) battled back from an early 9-0 deficit — a stretch that mirrored the Wolfpack’s 15-0 run to start last year’s drubbing of the Blue Devils in Raleigh — to enter the half up three.

“Energy. It’s just his presence on the floor,” Jeremy Roach said on what Stewart brings to the table. “He’s always protecting the rim, obviously you see him going over the top of people to get rebounds.

“It’s just extra life and it’s stuff you need for a championship team.”

It’s also stuff that, quite frankly, Duke has not had for much of this season. Stewart certainly showed flashes during non-conference and the early stretches of ACC play. There was the 16-point, 10-rebound outing (in just 18 minutes) on Nov. 21 against La Salle, along with the six rebounds and two blocks he notched on Jan. 23 at Louisville.

But the last three games have seen a true difference maker emerge. With Caleb Foster sidelined due to a right foot injury, Scheyer has opted for more length and size, giving Stewart and TJ Power a minutes boost in Duke’s last three wins against Louisville, Virginia and N.C. State (17-13, 9-10).

That adds to a unique frontcourt, one that already features Filipowski, Young and Mark Mitchell.

“We have two really good players in Flip and in Mark, who are established,” Scheyer said. “So, the window to play, it's there, but those guys are going to play as well.”

Power, who went 1-for-3 from 3 against the Wolfpack, has taken advantage, providing floor-spacing to a group that, with so much attention on Roach, Filipowski, Tyrese Proctor and Jared McCain, could always use it.

Yet it's been his fellow frontcourt freshman who has truly shined, with Monday being the pinnacle of Stewart’s recently-expanded role.

“Sean provides something that we don't have,” Scheyer said. “He's our best athlete, his versatility on defense, his touch around the basket, he's a lob threat, and his skill is going to continue to get better and better. So you’re trying to find ways to get him out there.”

With how Stewart fared on Monday, Scheyer may get him out there even more going forward. Duke led 33-30 at the break, and in the first few minutes of the second period, looked headed for a tight affair in a building that has not been too kind to it over the years — entering the night, the Blue Devils had lost four of their last six at PNC Arena.

But after checking in at the 15:52 mark of the half, Stewart again put his imprint on the contest. His floater off the glass gave Duke a three-point edge, and when N.C. State reclaimed the lead just over three minutes later, it was Stewart’s put-back off a Roach airball that put the Blue Devils ahead 47-46.

They never again trailed, with Stewart pulling the chair on Burns — and McCain picking up the ensuing steal and transition bucket — capping off a 10-2 spurt for the visitors.

N.C. State, led by Burns, threatened to stay in it. The Wolfpack kept the deficit in single digits past the five-minute mark, with Stewart’s two buckets — the first coming off a lob from Proctor and the second via a nifty find from Filipowski — preventing the hosts from making it even more interesting.

From there, Roach and McCain’s successive triples iced it, with Duke’s 14-point lead at the under-four timeout enough to convince some N.C. State fans to head for the exits.

That would not have been possible without Stewart, and all his energy, rim-running and shot-blocking. With No. 7 North Carolina (and Armando Bacot) coming into Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday, the freshman will be asked to do those things again.

On Monday, he showed he’s capable of answering the call.

“I work really hard every day, just so when my name is called [I can] be as ready as possible,” Stewart, the flood of cameras illuminating his face, said. “Work paid off tonight.”