The grit No. 9 Duke showed in win over No. 18 Michigan State could carry Devils far
Tuesday night delivered a classic Duke basketball win on a national stage.
It was nothing new, and, no, that’s not just because the Blue Devils beat Michigan State yet again (that’s 10 Duke wins over the Spartans in their past 12 matchups).
No, this was all about attitude, about one team willing its way past another in a game between two highly regarded squads.
“The program that I know Duke to be,” Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer said, “it’s all about how you respond.”
The Blue Devils failed their first big test of this young season on Friday, dropping a 78-73 game to Arizona at Cameron Indoor Stadium. That result vaulted the Wildcats to No. 3 in the newest AP poll on Monday, while the Blue Devils tumbled to No. 9.
On Tuesday night, No. 18 Michigan State awaited Duke on an even bigger stage — the Champions Classic at United Center, where ESPN televised a doubleheader that also included No. 17 Kentucky against No. 1 Kansas.
The possibility of Duke being below .500 just three games into the season was real.
The Blue Devils wouldn’t have it.
Rebounding with attitude
Other than the final score, the statistic that best displayed Duke’s resiliency was the rebounding result. After Arizona grabbed 45 rebounds to Duke’s 33, the Blue Devils won the rebounding battle, 35-33, over Michigan State.
“The rebounding, the response, and just doing whatever it takes to win,” Scheyer said. “That’s what it’s all about, doing whatever it takes to win. These guys did that tonight.”
Kyle Filipowski’s eight rebounds were expected. He’s a 7-foot sophomore and preseason All-American, after all. Getting seven from 6-10 graduate Ryan Young off the bench was a sign of Duke’s grit. So, too, were the six rebounds 6-5 guard Tyrese Proctor grabbed.
Nine Duke players saw action and all of them grabbed at least one rebound.
“We came off our first two games where we didn’t rebound the ball well,” Scheyer said. “So to outrebound a Michigan State team, that’s a big deal for us. We’re going to play the guys you saw tonight. We’re not as big as we’ve been, but we’re tough. Five guys need to be on the boards, which I think you saw tonight.”
A fabulous freshman steps up
Duke’s growth showed in two other areas, with Caleb Foster playing a role in both.
The 6-5 freshman guard was all but invisible in the Arizona loss, playing 13 minutes while not attempting a shot, grabbing a rebound or collecting an assist.
Against Michigan State, Foster led Duke with 18 points. He made seven of his eight shots, including four of five on 3-pointers.
That’s quite a bounceback.
“I was definitely mad we lost,” Foster said. “But one thing my dad told me is to stay steady. There’s going to be ups and downs throughout the season. So just keep your head up and keep working.”
Foster’s first basket came late in the first half, during a stretch where Duke played without their foul-plagued star, Filipowski.
Rather than wilt during the final six minutes of the first half after Filipowski picked up his second foul, the Blue Devils pulled away from a one-point game to open a 31-20 halftime lead.
Mark Mitchell scored seven points during that stretch. Tyrese Proctor hit a 3-pointer and added a jumper in the lane. Jeremy Roach sank two free throws.
It was teamwork and toughness at a crucial time.
Foster made that lead stand up in the second half, scoring 16 points over the final 20 minutes. Even though the Spartans shot 53.1% after halftime, they never caught the Blue Devils.
They key was Foster handling more of the point guard duties while Proctor moved off the ball. Scheyer said the staff noticed Proctor getting worn down in the second half of games. He hit only 3 of 9 shots in the Arizona loss.
So Foster got Duke into its offense in the second half against Michigan State then found his spots on the court to hit one key shot after another.
“He hardly played, the Foster kid, in the last game,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “He didn’t do much and, you know, he has a big game. He was their best player.”
That was part of Duke’s response.
“Not just the points,” Scheyer said. “Eighteen points is great, But his defense, his rebounding, his passing. I just thought it was a big-time response. I can’t say enough about his attitude.”
In that way, Foster exemplified what the Blue Devils thought and did after losing to Arizona.
In a big early-season test for a still developing team, on a big stage, Duke delivered.