TUCSON, Ariz. — In order to play — and win — a grown man’s game, Duke first had to make its freshman mistakes.
This is why, in many ways, the Blue Devils’ narrow loss to Kentucky in the Champions Classic is the gift that keeps on giving. Against the nation’s fifth-oldest team, coach Jon Scheyer’s squad looked, well, young, especially late. Case in point: Duke only had four second-half possessions against Kentucky in which it completed three or more passes. It was iso ball at the most inopportune time, and ultimately, it cost Duke that game.
But at No. 17 Arizona on Friday, in a sold-out, frothing-at-the-mouth McHale Center, Duke looked mature. Surprisingly so, for a team that starts three freshmen. But when Scheyer built this squad in this fashion — about as against-the-grain a move as any coach can make in today’s era — it was with the hope that his team would grow up in real time, right before the nation’s eyes.
Duke 69, Arizona 55.
Hypothesis confirmed.
Let’s be clear: If Duke hadn’t lost in the fashion it did against Kentucky, there’s no telling if it would’ve been able to match Arizona’s physicality Friday.
A whopping one personal foul was called in the first seven minutes of the game — when Khaman Maluach shoved fellow 7-footer Motiejus Krivas in transition, completely out of the play — which set the tone for the rest of the game. And considering Arizona is another legitimate top-55 team in terms of experience, that’s reflected in how the Wildcats play. Entering Friday, coach Tommy Lloyd’s team allowed just 20.7 points in the paint per game, according to CBB Analytics, the fifth-fewest of any team in the country. But Duke blew past that barometer with almost 12 minutes to play, ultimately finishing with 28 points inside.
And go down the list. There’s proof practically everywhere of the Blue Devils’ backbone. A 43-30 rebounding edge — and a 13-6 offensive rebounding edge, which was critical late when Arizona got the game back within two possessions. Duke turned Arizona’s 15 turnovers into 19 points, while only allowing its 14 giveaways to turn into nine.
Graduate guard Sion James put old Duke rival Caleb Love — who entered Friday having averaged 16.9 points per game in his previous eight contests versus the Blue Devils — in hell defensively. Love finished with a measly eight points on 3-of-13 shooting, and after his lone made 3, Love even raised his hands in relief; fitting, since he didn’t have much all night.
Instead, Duke’s freshman stars aged an eternity Friday. Cooper Flagg has been as good as advertised all season, but after starting 3-for-11, the expected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft turned it on after halftime, finishing with a game-high 24 points and six rebounds.
Kon Knueppel, who struggled mightily against Kentucky, could barely hang onto the ball in the first half, but his two 3-pointers in the last 5:20 sucked all the air out of McHale, like a deflating balloon; fans started heading for the exits when his team-best third 3-pointer dropped through the net. And even Maluach, finally facing someone his size, battled through some bruising to deter essentially everything Arizona put up inside.
A grown man’s game, indeed — won by a team that, suddenly, looks to have advanced beyond its age.
Required reading
(Photo: Chris Coduto / Getty Images)
