Observations

Sophomore forward Miles Plumlee had his best game as a Blue Devil on Tuesday.

He was active defensively with two steals and converted two dunks off breakaways created by turnovers. He also had a nice drive for a reverse layup and made a couple short jumpers en route to 15 points and 11 rebounds.

If Plumlee continues to play that way, ACC defenses aren't going to be able to ignore him, and Duke will be even more dangerous.

Boston College transfer Shamari Spears is going to score a lot of points for Charlotte in the Atlantic 10.

Even though the Blue Devils ran multiple defenders at him and double-teamed him at times, Spears still managed 20 points and displayed impressive strength on the block.

One of the few disappointments for Duke on Tuesday night was forward Lance Thomas' foul trouble.

Thomas is the Blue Devils' most versatile defender but has had foul trouble throughout his career. He committed four fouls in 16 minutes Tuesday. Duke won't be able to afford that from a senior leader in a close game.

Maybe Duke's reconfiguring of seats in Cameron Indoor Stadium was a good thing.

In three straight games against opponents that aren't national powers, Duke's students have displayed far more energy than they showed in other early games in recent years.