Nov 26, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) dribbles against Kansas Jayhawks forward KJ Adams Jr. (24) during the first half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Duke has been through a difficult stretch of the schedule with mixed results, but closing out November with a win is still possible.
The No. 11 Blue Devils face visiting Seattle on Friday night in Durham, North Carolina.
“We focused, all summer, on doing our best in March,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “That doesn’t mean we want to sacrifice winning in November. In every game, we’ve come to win. That’s what we can and should do.”
Duke (4-2) is coming off Tuesday night’s 75-72 loss to No. 1 Kansas in Las Vegas.
That game had several ups and downs and revealed the great possibilities and failures that come with the Blue Devils.
“I think it says a lot about the potential this team has, but also the character we have right now,” Scheyer said. “For me, it’s character. You either have a competitive spirit or you don’t.”
Duke’s 13-point first-half deficit marked its biggest deficit of the season. The ability to come back was one of the positives the Blue Devils identified.
“Even though I really want to win, I think at some point I thought it wouldn’t be crazy to have the schedule we’ve had in our first six games,” Scheyer said. “But I did it with this group because I thought they could win. They have the right team. They have a lot of toughness. The growth that we are going to have with this game, with this whole trip, playing in Arizona and then playing against Kansas on a neutral field, “We are going to grow a lot.”
Duke has relied on rookies Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel in crucial situations. Those situations didn’t work out for the Blue Devils in losses to Kentucky and Kansas, but they could have long-term benefits.
“We’ll understand how teams are going to play against us,” Scheyer said. “We will understand the time and the score. We have to continue to improve in all that.”
Duke guard Tyrese Proctor scored all 15 of his points on 3-pointers against Kansas. The five 3-pointers marked a career high for the third-year player.
The Blue Devils have proven to have depth at times. In four of their games, the reserves have contributed at least 20 points.
Seattle (2-4) had its two-game winning streak snapped with a 61-56 loss to Furman in the finale in Las Vegas. That was the lowest scoring game of the season for the Redhawks.
“Defensively we want to rule,” Seattle coach Chris Victor said. “We don’t want to be reactive. That’s why everything we do is aggressive.”
Seattle has shot just 42 percent from the field while its opponents are shooting 49.5 percent.
The Redhawks’ leading scorer is forward Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe with 14.5 points per game. He makes 63.2 percent of his field goals and averages a team-high 10.5 rebounds.
Seattle was the champion of the College Basketball Invitational last spring.
This is the first meeting between the Redhawks and the Blue Devils. It will be Duke’s first home game since Nov. 16.
–Field level media
