Observations

Duke freshman point guard Quinn Cook missed Wednesday's game at Maryland while recovering from an illness, team officials said.

Cook, of Bowie, Md., missed the opportunity to play near his hometown. He has played in 19 games this season, including four starts. He entered the starting lineup against Georgia Tech, the team's ACC-opener, but only played one minute against Florida State on Saturday.

Cook is averaging 5.2 points and 2.1 assists per game with a 3.25-to-1 turnover ratio.

Freshman forward Michael Gbinije was also under the weather and stayed at home.

Duke made a concerted effort to pound the ball into the paint in the first half. The Devils distributed the ball to junior Mason Plumlee, who executed jump hooks and finished on dunks.

On several occasions, Maryland guards simply blew by Duke guards on the perimeter. With quick stutter-step moves, the Terps' guards were able to free themselves to drive into the lane, dish an assist or pull up for jump shots.

Maryland fans showered former head coach Gary Williams with thunderous applause before the game. He returned for the public unveiling of Gary Williams Court - an honor he earned after collecting a 461-252 record over 22 seasons. He retired in 2011 and is the winningest coach in school history. His name appears on the Comcast Center court as a black signature with the word court in red.

Edward G. Robinson III