AP Photo/The Fayetteville Observer, Raul R. Rubiera
The Blue Devils used an 80-62 blowout win against AAC opponent, Wake Forest, Duke got to showcase the rest of the freshman class, besides Rasheed Sulaimon. Freshman forwards Amile Jefferson, Alex Murphy, and Marshall Plumlee all found time on the hardwood.
We would of seen more of the new faces of Duke, however the young Demon Deacon squad put forth great effort from start to finish and Coach K had to resort back to the starters when Wake Forest cut the lead to 15. Either way, a little added experience for three of Duke’s freshmen.
Here’s a look at this week’s Duke Basketball Rookie Report.
1) Rasheed Sulaimon
Feels like this guy is going to keep the No. 1 spot as the Blue Devils enter conference play. The starting wing played well in both wins against Wake Forest and Davidson.
On Saturday, in his first ACC game, Sulaimon chipped in 12 points and three boards as Duke cruised behind strong 3-point shooting. Defensively, he added a spark alongside sophomore guard Quinn Cook. Sulaimon was asked to cover Wake Forest’s second leading scorer, senior C.J. Harris, a battle-tested AAC guard.
2) Alex Murphy
This could be a big week for the younger Murphy. Older brother and Florida senior forward, Erik Murphy is out with a rib injury, so the middle Murphy is the only Division I player in the family. The Rhode Island native logged eight minutes in the win against Wake Forest. Murphy went scoreless in his previous three appearances, including his debut in Club Trillion (see Mark Titus).
3) Marshall Plumlee
While older brother, Mason, makes his case for player of the year, Marshall Plumlee rocks the double wristbands in garbage time for Duke. In seven minutes against the Demon Deacons, Plum3 scored two points and added a block. Although he doesn’t have the offensive skill set of the middle brother, he is a physical presence at 6-foot-11.
4) Amile Jefferson
It’s tough for Jefferson to crack the Duke rotation with senior forwards playing so well, but in seven combined minutes in wins against Wake Forest and Davidson, the 6-foot-8 Jefferson recorded only three rebounds. It’s unfortunate, a talented stretch forward is stuck in the middle of the benchwarmers and the rotation. Maybe playing for the 2013-2014 season.
Terrence Payne is the interim editor for Devils in Durham. Follow him on Twitter@terrence_payne
Kris
January 7, 2013
Why is coach K not playing Jefferson more.?
Terrence Payne
January 7, 2013
He’s stuck behind two senior captains. Hairston has taken minutes away from him coming off the bench. He gives them a different style of play. Physical, aggressive rebounder.