For the first time in seemingly forever, Duke got out to a decent start in this one. Louisville converted three of their first four attempts from beyond the arc, but Duke did a good job keeping their composure and not letting Louisville’s hot start lead to another large deficit.
Coach K elected to keep Matthew Hurt in the game after picking up his second foul with 9:09 to play in the first half, which proved to a great decision. Matthew Hurt carried Duke’s offense for much of the first half and did a terrific job defending without picking up his third foul.
A Jordan Goldwire steal and layup gave Duke a three point lead with just over three and a half minutes left, but Louisville responded by going on a quick 7-0 run. It was a missed opportunity for Duke build a lead going into the half, and Duke trailed by three at the break.
Duke scored on each of their first four possessions to start the second half, but still found themselves trailing by four at the under sixteen timeout due to poor defense. Jalen Johnson picked up his third foul with 16:26 to play.
Duke would find themselves trailing until the 8:27 mark after a three from Jordan Goldwire. Louisville would retake the lead on their following possession and Matthew Hurt picked up his fourth foul with 7:06 to play. Matthew Hurt, DJ Steward, and Jalen Johnson being in foul trouble was a theme for the game.
The two teams went back and forth down the stretch with the lead being exchanged multiple times. Duke had a couple great looks from Baker and Steward in the final minute that could have changed the outcome with a make from either one of them, but could not get either to fall.
Main Observations
Jalen Johnson’s second half absence
Jalen Johnson really struggled in the first half, turning the ball over five times. This led to a second half where he played very little. He was on the sidelines down the stretch of the game until Hurt fouled out with 1:50 left. This came as a huge surprise, particularly with how well he played in the previous game.
No Mark Williams
Duke went ten deep in this game, but Mark Williams was left out of the rotation. This does not come as a huge surprise as Williams has struggled of late. Patrick Tape briefly entered the game before exiting after just one minute. Coach K is much more comfortable with Jalen Johnson or Matthew Hurt at the five right now.
Lack of free throw attempts again
Duke attempted just nine free throws in the game. This team simply cannot manufacture trips to the free throw line and it is costing them dearly.
Poor game from Jeremy Roach
Jeremy Roach really struggled in this game. He finished the night scoreless and made quite a few questionable passes. He seems to have hit a Freshman wall over the last two games after playing so well before the Pittsburgh game. Duke desperately needs Roach to get back if they want to make a push towards an NCAA Tournament birth.
Hurt and Johnson still looking to mesh
Matthew Hurt played an excellent game while Johnson struggled. The two have yet to both play their “A” game during the same game this season. The fact that Duke’s two best players have yet to truly both have simultaneous good games is a problem.
Player of the game: Matthew Hurt
Matthew Hurt did all he could to will the team to victory today. He finished with 24 points and 8 rebounds on the night. Hurt put on a clinic in difficult shot making but ultimately Duke did not get enough from the rest of the team to emerge victorious.
I know you said Coach is comfortable playing Hurt and Johnson at the 5. Until he learns to build a rotation using his bigs at the 5 he might as well get comfortable losing as well.
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