Duke men’s basketball team officially kicked off its season releasing a 13-minute, 5-on-5 blue and white scrimmage, featuring some of its best plays. In the short film, Duke fans were given a sneak peak of what’s to come in head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final season at the helm.
Observations from the film
- 5 star prospect A.J. Griffin is going to be a complete stud. During the scrimmage, the All-American is seen on several possessions taking over ball-handling duties, initiating the offense into it’s primary and secondary break, demolishing the rim in a back and forth dual between himself and Junior Wendell Moore – which might have been the highlight of the entire film.
- Paolo Banchero’s ability to handle the rock with precision will catch defenders off guard this season. He’s been compared to a young Chris Webber with his offensive skill set and yet again during the scrimmage his game was on full display. Attacking the basket and not shying away from contact against the 7-footer Mark Williams, Banchero has a chance to be special in Durham. The mid-range game will force defenders to respect his jump-shot, but will keep them at bay with his ability to blow past them, finishing above the rim.
- Calm and poise were the sentiments from sophomore point guard Jeremy Roach and Junior forward Wendell Moore. The confidence in their game is the leadership Duke needs to thrive in a vengeance season. Having that grit and tenacity will rub off on the younger guys. Shooting the ball with poise (knowing it’s going in), forcing the double team off the dribble, dishing off for the easy assist to Banchero, Griffin, and Williams on the interior was a common theme.
- Trevor Keels was a known marksman and game changer during his senior season and on the AAU circuit and mainly recruited for those intangibles. Keels didn’t just shy away from the moments being the floor general he accepted the role. The ability to change the pace of game and get into the lane at any moment will make this combo guard a complete assassin on both sides of the ball.
Check out the full scrimmage below:
