Sharing The Wealth: Duke Blue Devil Basketball

By Andrew Musur on April 8, 2015

There are many words to describe Duke’s exhilarating National Championship run, but the three that come to mind are quiet, quick and efficient.

The Blue Devils played some of the best team basketball I have seen all season. But there was another aspect of this Duke basketball team that was different from the other teams in the tournament. The Blue Devils had the ability to have a different guy step up in all six of their games.

Duke had all five starters lead the team in scoring in five different tournament games (Robert Morris, San Diego State, Utah, Gonzaga and Wisconsin). This unselfish basketball from Duke was enough to give Mike Krzyzewski his fifth title (12 Final Four Appearances), but he couldn’t have done it without some notable players.

Quinn Cook vs. 16-Seed Robert Morris, 85-56

FG 8-12, 4 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 3 steals, 22 points

Quinn Cook was an absolute monster in the Blue Devil’s opening round matchup with Robert Morris. Cook knocked down six three pointers and led the team in steals with three.

The senior was coming off one of his worst games of the year against Notre Dame in the ACC tournament. The D.C. native went a miserable 1 of 8 from beyond the arc.

Cook shot 50 percent better in Duke’s matchup against Robert Morris. His fantastic shooting was a big reason why the Blue Devils took care of the pesky Colonials. Cook ended his career with over 1,500 points and a National Championship–not bad.

Jahlil Okafor vs. 8-Seed San Diego State, 68-49

FG 12-16, 6 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Steal, 3 Blocks, 26 Points

The big man came out firing on all cylinders. Okafor used an array of moves to work his way to the basket. The Aztecs had no answer down low.

A Whitney Young product, Okafor played like a man among boys, giving plenty of reason to believe he will be the number one pick in the upcoming draft. Okafor was set up nicely by his teammates and scored nine points above his season average.

Duke rolled San Diego State by 19 and had an opportunity to get to the Sweet 16 thanks to Jahlil.

Justise Winslow vs 5-Seed Utah, 63-57

FG 8-13, 10 Rebounds, 1 Steal, 2 Blocks, 21 Points

Houston native Justise Winslow had the opportunity to go back home in the Blue Devil’s matchup with the Utah Utes. Winslow’s homecoming did not disappoint as the 6-foot-6 freshman knocked down 62 percent of his shots including three shots from beyond the arc. The hometown hero also grabbed 10 rebounds, three of which were offensive rebounds.

The Blue Devils more or less cruised to a victory; the score is a little deceiving of what took place on the court. The Utes were down 15 at the seven and a half minute mark, and weren’t able to get it any closer than five down the stretch. For the third straight game of the tournament, someone different stepped up.

Matt Jones vs. 2-Seed Gonzaga, 66-52

FG 6-10, 3 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 3 Steals, 16 Points

For a sophomore that only averaged six points per game, this was his One Shinning Moment. Jones was cold blooded as he nailed four deep bombs, including one that gave Duke a three point lead with 12 minutes and 57 seconds left in the game. A lead the Blue Devils never looked back on.

Duke got to battle it out with the West Coast Conference champions while on the other side of the bracket Kentucky and Wisconsin were surviving scares of their own against some of the toughest teams in college basketball, Notre Dame and Arizona.

The little known sophomore put up big numbers, as the Blue Devils quietly landed in the Final Four.

3 Headed Monster (Justise Winslow, Jahlil Okafor and Quinn Cook) vs. 7-Seed Michigan State, 81-61

FG 18-30, 17 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 5 Steals, 2 Blocks, 55 Points

There was something different about the Blue Devils’ third game of the tournament. They came out on top of their toes and ready to get to their first National Championship game since 2010, which was also hosted in Indianapolis.

Duke shot a blistering 52 percent from the field, and had several guys step up to fuel the charge. Though this wasn’t just a single individual playing well and helping the team win, this is just another way to show how Duke rose to the occasion.

The Blue Devils played their basketball when they needed to and gave it to the guys who were hitting shots. But the best news for Duke was they weren’t on the other side of the bracket having to take on a hungry Wisconsin team or an unbeaten Kentucky team.

Tyus Jones vs. 1-Seed Wisconsin, 68-63

FG 7-13, 5 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 23 Points 

We saw Cook, Okafor, Winslow and the other Jones step up throughout this tournament, so it was finally time for Duke’s fifth starter, Tyus Jones, to get his turn. Jones once again proved the balance in Duke’s offense, providing evidence of how many weapons they can employ in a game.

The Appley Valley, Minnesota native took charge on the biggest stage of college basketball. In the 13th most viewed NCAA Tournament Championship game ever, Jones stayed calm, cool and collected. The 6-foot-1 guard hit a step back dagger to give Duke an eight point lead with one minute, 24 seconds remaining. The freshman also showed signs of maturity as he hit all seven of his free throws down the stretch.

In maybe one of the quietest runs to the Championship, the Duke Blue Devils displayed an incredible amount of talent and guts. This team wouldn’t have won the Championship without hustle plays and big shots.

No one could really give Duke a fight; the Badgers came close but lost their steam towards the end.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format