Duke basketball’s Amile Jefferson sprains ankle in exhibition win over Livingstone

Wednesday night’s exhibition game served as a showcase for Duke’s new class.

With a double-digit lead already in hand, freshman guard Derryck Thornton saved a Blue Devils possession against the hands of Livingstone. He flung the outlet to sophomore Grayson Allen, who then tossed up an alley-oop pass finished by freshman Chase Jeter.

In Duke’s 119-54 win over Livingstone, the fast, long, fearless youth didn’t compromise their pace or endurance, and they showed some notable compatibility with the veterans of a team coach Mike Krzyzewski said isn’t very deep and in a game in which senior forward Amile Jefferson left in the first half due to a sprained ankle.

Krzyzewski says they’ll know more about Jefferson’s condition Thursday morning.

Ranked No. 5 on this year’s preseason list, the Blue Devils had one final exhibition game to demonstrate the potential of its newcomers.

“I thought we shared the ball and played with good enthusiasm,” Krzyzewski said.

Paired with an early, quick tempo on offense, Duke’s medley of coverages on the other end forced the Bears into several uncomfortable shots and turnovers.

The Devils scored 34 points off turnovers in the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“We got a chance to look at a lot of different defenses,” Krzyzewski said. “I’m not saying how long we’ll play all those defenses, our 1-3-1 or 2-3 or 1-2-2.”

Livingstone had just seven points through the first 11 minutes of the game. In that time, Duke used it’s length to break up ball movement, shouldered its way into the bonus and saw a show from Allen, who was starting in his first game.

When the Bears tried to penetrate Duke’s zone at midway through the first half, Allen forced a steal and drew contact when he finished the play with a layup.

Allen found Marshall Plumlee for a mid-range jumper to give Duke a 41-9 lead with 7 minutes left before the break.

Allen and freshman Brandon Ingram led with 14 points at the half. Luke Kennard finished with a game-high 25 points on six made triples in 30 minutes.

“I know I had to come in and just be an energy-giver and play my role in the team,” Kennard said. “I just went out there and gave it my all.”

Sure, it was against the Bears, but the Blue Devils, who saw sometimes four freshman on the floor at a time, found ways to execute. The height of the third-tallest Krzyzewski team caused issues all night. Duke scored 54 points the paint, often getting second looks because of reliable offensive boards.

The Devils pulled down 54 rebounds, led by Jeter’s 11 (six offensive, five defensive). The 6-foot-10 freshman added 13 points to complete the double-double.

And the 3-pointer – Kennard grabbed that by the horns.

The freshman finished six-of-11 from behind the arc, as the long ball opened more comfortably for the Blue Devils after the break.

While several of the newer players had lengthy minutes, they weren’t without the guidance of the veterans.

Plumlee manned the inside and told the younger guys when they should or shouldn’t pass it down low.

“I’m very proud of their effort,” he said. “I think they showed a lot of discipline with some of the older guys being out in Matt Jones and Amile Jefferson. There were lapses at times, but nothing we couldn’t come together and fix.”

Krzyzewski said Jones, who suffered a groin injury in the exhibition game against Florida Southern on Oct. 30, may be ready to play by the Nov. 13 season opener.

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 10:06 PM with the headline "Duke basketball’s Amile Jefferson sprains ankle in exhibition win over Livingstone."