Duke vs. Georgia Tech: My Reaction

The Duke Blue Devils beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets by a score of 84-79. Duke extends their winning streak to eight games and wins their first game back in Cameron after a two-game road trip.

However, this didn’t feel like a step forward for the Blue Devils.

This felt like a regression after what we saw last time from Duke in their rout over Pitt 75-53, especially on the defensive end.

Duke held Pitt to 32.8% from the field and 33.3% from the three-point line. Georgia Tech shot 54.5% from the field and 55.0% from the three-point line.

For reference, Duke against Georgia Tech shot 42.9% from the field and 47.6% from the three-point line. Duke is currently ranked 113th in opponent’s field goal percentage per game.

In my last article on Duke, I talked about how they had this ability to hold the opposing team's dominant guard to an inefficient shooting night. However, I failed to recognize that others were stepping up when this was happening. Duke may be limiting one player, but they are not limiting the team.

This is a problem for Duke and one I failed to see. While I still agree that they can make the best guard inefficient, I wonder if they have the team defense to make it worth anything.

What allowed Duke to win this game was the discrepancy in the free throw area. 

Duke shot a total of 28 free throws, while Georgia Tech only shot 12. While much of that can be attributed to Duke’s ability to attack the basket, this discrepancy is not something Duke can rely on come March. 

The Blue Devils are tied for 96th in free throws attempted per game in the country. 

After what seemed like such a step forward for this Duke team, they seemed to have taken two backward. 

Fortunately for Duke, they can have another bounce-back game against Pitt. Duke and Pitt are scheduled to meet in Cameron on Saturday at 5 p.m. PST.

Will we see another performance from Duke like we did in their last game against Pitt, or a continuation of what happened in the Georgia Tech game?

Duke has four more games until they collide with UNC in Chapel Hill on Feb. 3. These next four games are an important stretch for Duke, as UNC is playing some of the best basketball in the country.

It is crucial Duke finds their rhythm offensively and solves their defensive problems or they could be in for a rude awakening come Feb. 3.