The game started out as a tight battle, with eight lead changes in the first seven minutes, but Duke eventually pulled away to win the CBE Classic. The Devils began to extend their lead midway through the first half and led 47-39 at the break, though the Wildcats still appeared to be holding pace. The knockout blow came five minutes into the second half, when Duke keyed off a 10-2 run in which five different players scored. After the run, Duke held a 17-point lead and Kansas State never recovered. It was a convincing performance by the Blue Devils, who vindicated the preseason hype and solidified their #1 ranking for the time being.
Highlights:
Kyrie Irving. Everyone knew how talented he was, but questions remained as to whether or not Kyrie would be as effective against top-level competition. Well, consider those questions answered. Irving shined against the Wildcats, tearing by the defense throughout the game for several dazzling lay-ups and finishing with 17 points. For his efforts, Irving was awarded the MVP of the CBE Classic.
The defense. Throughout the game, Duke’s guards applied enormous amounts of on-ball pressure, forcing 21 turnovers. They also guarded the three-point line like a fortress, causing K-State to shoot a miserable 3-17 from beyond the arc. In addition, they did an excellent job denying the entry pass, finishing the game with 11 steals. K-State's all-star guard, Jacob Pullen, finished the game shooting 1 for 12 from the floor. All in all, it was a suffocating defensive effort.
Lowlights:
The defense. As superb as the perimeter defense was, the interior defense seemed lacking. When the rare entry-pass managed to sneak by Duke’s guards, the forwards struggled to stop K-State, who ended the game shooting 24-41 (59%) from two-point land. In particular, Curtis Kelly caused trouble for Duke’s front line, shooting 8-11 from the floor and scoring 19 points. This may become a problem moving forward, though there is also a significant chance that Duke is simply so good at every other aspect of basketball that it might not matter. Still, the interior defense might be something to watch as the season progresses.
Other thoughts:
