'The collective effort': No. 2 Duke's road win against Syracuse was a testament to its depth and chemistry
No. 2 Duke has become no stranger to a blowout.
The Blue Devils have looked nothing short of dominant throughout conference play. A 27-point win at SMU, a 29-point win against Pitt and a 17-point rout of North Carolina highlight Duke's 16-game win streak and undefeated record in conference. Something that is new for Jon Scheyer’s team? Doing it without the star of the show.
Wednesday night saw the Blue Devils put up a staggering 83-54 performance against Syracuse in front of the largest on-campus crowd in college basketball this season. The 29-point win is particularly striking considering the performance of Duke’s freshman star, Cooper Flagg. Flagg took just seven attempts from the field — the lowest volume he has seen since a 70-48 win against Seattle.
“He loves the fact other guys were getting their shots … I always want him to get more shots, but that’s no problem with him,” Scheyer said.
The Blue Devils ended the game with five players scoring in double digits and eight players with at least five. The performance in the JMA Wireless Dome was by far one of the most balanced scoring efforts of the season.
Flagg had been on a tear; since the new year and entering Wednesday, he averaged 24.9 points per game and firmly solidified himself as one of college basketball’s most dangerous scorers. When that flame died down, however, the offense kept moving.
“We have such a good team. It’s not just on one guy to come out and drop 40 every game,” junior guard Tyrese Proctor said.
Duke first managed to break through some early game lethargy about 13 minutes into the contest. Proctor drove in a triple, extending the lead up to nine. Graduate student Sion James built on the momentum by muscling in for two at the rim, and freshman Kon Knueppel drew contact behind the arc and made a pair at the stripe just a few seconds later, putting the Blue Devils ahead by double digits.
Although Flagg did not see his normal volume, his performance is not to be discounted. The Newport, Maine, native found his way to a comfortable 11 points while shooting an efficient 57% from the field and logging a pair of blocks.
“He plays however he needs to and however we need to … He’s not trying to go out there and shoot the ball 20 times,” Proctor added. The junior ended the night with a game-high 16 points.
Coming off the bench, Isaiah Evans found his shot and managed to join the double-digit scorers. Late into the second half, he connected on a three and converted a pair of free throws on the following possession to reach eight points. A couple of minutes later, Khaman Maluach swatted a ball down the court that Evans caught up to and threw down for his last two.
“They are one of the top two teams in the country … They got guys that can shoot, they got guys that can pass and they got guys that can finish,” Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said.
Although the headlines may focus on Flagg — and deservedly so — it is this level of depth in the offense that can elevate the Blue Devils into the elusive contender category come March. The ability to run the ball through Knueppel — who can use his size for easy looks at the rim — helps take the pressure off a spot-up shooter like Proctor when his shot isn’t falling, as was the case early in the first half. Knowing a microwave scorer like Evans is available off the bench also gives the starters more room to burn through their motor and turn up the defensive effort. On top of scoring ability, the team looked as clean as ever with its ball movement — 18 assists and only six turnovers. Such a coherent, multifaceted offense will be especially instrumental for Duke moving forward as teams increasingly key in on Flagg in their defensive preparations.
Where this team’s depth shined even more, perhaps, was on the defensive end. The nation’s third-most efficient defense logged a season-high 12 steals on the night that built towards a critical 23 points off turnovers.
“I’m really proud of the collective effort by everybody on our team stepping up on defense,” Scheyer said.
Duke’s defensive versatility and ability to switch one through five has been a driving force behind its success throughout the season, especially on the road. While shooting is inherently a fickle aspect of the game, defense can be made consistent. Defensive discipline with length gives a recipe for silencing a hostile crowd and buying time to settle in. This side of the Blue Devils’ depth is undoubtedly a key contributor to their place as one of four teams undefeated in true road games.
In his Wednesday night homecoming, Maliq Brown was a key piece of that. As Duke built on its early second-half momentum, the junior moved onto a posted-up Eddie Lampkin Jr. and used his active hands to keep the Orange’s big man at bay. His work gave fellow transfer James enough time to rotate and log a steal before finding Brown on the other end, who proceeded to draw a couple of chances from the line.
“He’s such a good defender and allows us to get in transition a lot,” Proctor highlighted.
The Blue Devils' showing at Syracuse put the full depth of their roster on display. It’s a level of coherence and chemistry that goes beyond any single player and is at the center of the consistency displayed over recent months.
“I think with this group, just how together we are … off the court and on the court … it’s just fun playing out there with your brothers and playing basketball the right way,” Proctor said.
As the postseason rapidly approaches, it will take more than just output from the team’s superstar if it hopes to realize lofty aspirations for a national championship. Wednesday’s performance at Syracuse, however, reinforced that those complimentary pieces are there. Scheyer’s team brings more than one way to pull off a blowout — time will tell how many hold in March.
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