Jordan Goldwire adds some blue collar glue to Duke's season

Duke senior Jordan Goldwire plays his final game on Senior Night at 6 p.m. Saturday against Louisville in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Or does he?

There is a “but” to just about everything in college sports during the COVID-19 pandemic and that includes eligibility. The NCAA gave athletes the option of playing or opting out this season without losing a year of eligibility.

“It’s been a crazy year,” said Goldwire in a Zoom interview, “but this is our last home game against Louisville, and I am a senior. So, it definitely has come across my mind that it could be my last game.”

That’s a decision for another day.

Duke is on a four-game winning streak, but they still have to finish strongly to earn an NCAA tournament bid for the 25th straight year. After the Louisville game, Duke’s final two regular-season games on the road are March 2 at Georgia Tech and March 6 at North Carolina.

Goldwire has been the Blue Collar link the Blue Devils needed. Duke is thought as a Blue Blood program, but they needed senior guard Quinn Cook as their Blue Collar link to win the 2015 NCAA title behind three one-and-done freshmen, Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones.

A month ago Duke was struggling to find consistency and an identity when it defeated Georgia Tech at home, 75-68. Goldwire finished with 11 points, seven assists and two steals with only one turnover. He was a pivotal figure in a game while defending the Yellow Jackets’ point guard, Jose Alvarado. The former 3-star recruit signed late in the Class of 2017 was head-to-head with a highly touted 4-star recruit and proving up to the task.

That’s how far Goldwire has developed from the end of the bench as a freshman in 2017-18 to a glue role this year. I wondered if has he gotten as much out of his potential as any Duke player. I asked Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski after the Georgia Tech win.

“Hopefully he hasn’t got the most out of his potential yet,” Krzyzewski said. “We’re seeing a jump. I thought today was as good a game as he played at Duke because he played in a leadership role. That doesn’t mean with Tre last year … he was a really good player (last year); today was his best game. He had to guard as good guard as there is in the country (Alvarado).

“He led team with seven assists and one turnover, big rebounds. Hopefully that will be his role. Hopefully you can ask that question numerous times, and I can keep telling you how he keeps growing. To single him out with your question is terrific.”

The Georgia Tech victory was followed by an impressive win over Clemson, although those two wins turned out to be just another step toward coming together. The Blue Devils lost three straight games to Miami, North Carolina and Notre Dame.

Now they’re playing their best basketball of the season after defeating Syracuse on Monday, 85-71. Goldwire wasn’t in double figures, scoring six points, but he had his usual steady impact contributing four assists, only one turnover and two steals.

He leads the ACC in the assist/turnover ratio with a plus-2.72. He also is second in steals at 2.5 per game and seventh in assists with 3.8. He is tied for the national lead with 18 multi-steal games.

Goldwire’s feel for his young teammates was evident on a breakaway dunk 7-foot freshman Mark Williams put down. Williams was a highly recruited freshman who wasn’t ready for the inside physicality of college basketball, but through his work with assistant coach Nolan Smith, he’s making strides. Williams has been up and down, but when Goldwire was pushing the ball at the half-court mark and saw Williams streaking ahead of him on the right side, he only saw “up.”

Goldwire launched an arcing pass that arrived hovering above the right side of the rim with Tom Brady accuracy. Williams grabbed it and slammed it emphatically.

“During practice and games, Mark and I have a pretty good connection on lobs,” Goldwire said. “He’s obviously 7 foot, he can go up and get it. I saw him running, I threw it he and he was able to go up and get it.”

Goldwire will be joined reserve Mike Bruckmire as the only two seniors for Senior Night. But for now, Goldwire has unfinished business with the remainder of the regular season and the ACC Tournament. He has lifted game far beyond a modest 3-star recruit fortunate to gain a late offer from Duke. He played for his community high school, Norcross High in the Georgia city of the same name, rather than transferring to a basketball academy.

“It been a roller coaster ride,” Goldwire said. “I didn’t play that much the first two years. I played a little my sophomore and last year I able to log big minutes. This year I had a different role being a leader on the team.

“I’m very happy and excited with the way my time went at Duke. It’s a place not a lot people get opportunity to go to. I’m grateful I’ve had opportunity to play here and play for such a good coach and coaching staff and in front of the fans. I’ve loved every minute of it.”