Vernon Carey’s scoring prowess and Duke’s defense make the No. 1 Blue Devils complete
The defense has been Duke’s focus so far this young season, as the Blue Devils rode their stinginess to the nation’s No.1 ranking.
Now, Mike Krzyzewski’s 40th Duke team has found an offensive focus.
Freshman Vernon Carey, Jr., continued his rapid ascent on that end of the court at Madison Square Garden Thursday night, scoring 31 points as Duke blasted California, 87-52.
“He’s a good basketball player,” Krzyzewski said, “and he’s the focal point of our offense right now.”
Two weeks and two days earlier, the 6-10, 270-pound Carey debuted in the same building. Against Kansas’ tall, experienced front line, he produced 11 points with six rebounds in Duke’s 68-66 season-opening win.
But he did so making only three of eight shots from the field. That included a pair of 3-pointers, meaning he made only one of his remaining six shots much closer to the basket.
His scoring and shooting has improved with each game he’s played.
He had 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting against Colorado State on Nov. 8. He hit 8 of 10 shots to score 17 points in Duke’s Nov. 12 rout of Central Arkansas
Last Friday night he hit only 7 of 14 shots, plus six of 11 free throws, but still scored 20 points against Georgia State.
It all came together against Cal (4-1) on Thursday night as Carey used a variety of different moves and shots while making 11 of 18 field goal attempts.
“I’m being more aggressive, I feel like,” Carey said. “I’m just not worrying about a play if I mess up on it. I’m just going on to the next play and keep working.”
Carey blistered Cal from all over the court, sinking a 1-handed hook shot from the edge of the lane and a 3-pointer in addition to his work in the paint. He used a baseline spin move to beat a defender, get to the basket, score through contact and add the free throw he’d earned.
“He’s in the game so much and I don’t think people give him credit,” Duke freshman forward Cassius Stanley said, “His basketball IQ is through the roof. He’s so skilled an intelligent on the court and it’s coming out right now.”
In the first half alone, Carey’s point total (21) matched Cal’s entire team as Duke took a 19-point lead to intermission. At that point, Carey had been fouled five times in addition to all that scoring.
Cal, simply put, had no answers to the challenges he presented.
“He’s not just a big guy, he’s a good basketball player,” Krzyzewski said. “He’s making passes. He can put it on the floor. He’s playing through contact. (He has) Good touch and our guys are looking for him.”
Carey is playing good defense, too, and that’s also important to a Duke team that thrives in point prevention. The Blue Devils have allowed only 58 points per game this season.
Duke is good defensively and the focus on that end of the court won’t diminish.
“The defense has gotten better as we move along,” Krzyzewski said. “It has to keep getting better.”
That said, it’s also nice Duke is developing a weapon on offense like Carey. Stopping the opponent from scoring is even better when you come down on your possession and have an athletic big man who can get you two points inside.
The more Carey can score inside the less Duke has to rely on jump shooting. The Blue Devils beat Cal despite guard Tre Jones making only 2 of 12 shots. Reserve guard Alex O’Connell hit just 1 of 6 shots with his lone bucket coming on an emphatic one-handed slam dunk.
Cal used a zone defense that dared Duke to shoot over it. Early on, the plan worked as Duke started 2 of 13 from the field, including 1 of 7 from behind the line.
But, eventually, the Blue Devils found some driving lanes and Carey went to work in the zone’s gaps. Duke led by 19 at halftime and rolled through the second half.
The Golden Bears had little chance of scoring enough to come back and Carey made sure Duke had more than enough offense on this night.
“His offense has been outstanding, not good,” Krzyzewski said.
If he can keep playing that way on offense, combined with Duke’s defense, the Blue Devils will have something special.
This story was originally published November 22, 2019 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Vernon Carey’s scoring prowess and Duke’s defense make the No. 1 Blue Devils complete."