The 2014 edition of the State Farm Champions Classic tipped off this evening with a matchup between two coaching legends: Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski. Though early in the season, both coaches likely relished the opportunity for such a stiff test in their first week of action. Duke came into the game after opening their season with 2 home blowouts, winning by an average margin of 58.5 over Presbyterian and Fairfield. In contrast, Michigan State squeaked by Navy in their season opener.
Right from the tipoff, the indication seemed clear that freshman center Jahlil Okafor was heading for a big night. An easy layup began a streak of 7 straight field goals made by Duke and 4 straight by Okafor himself before the first TV timeout. Michigan State looked nervous in the early stages, and passes were ending up in Duke hands, which left them exposed on the defensive end as speedy players like Justise Winslow, Quinn Cook, and Tyus Jones pushed quickly upcourt.
When they weren’t turning the ball over, Michigan State was taking bad shots. This was partly due to Duke’s defensive intensity, which at one point even had Marshall Plumlee at midcourt attempting a press. What kept the Spartans in the game was their offensive rebounding, where they enjoyed a healthy advantage throughout the first half. As they built this advantage, Duke’s boxing out strategy seemed to hover between “non-existent” and “barely there.” If not for their effort on the offensive boards and keeping in mind Duke’s speedy transition off steals or misses, Michigan State would have very likely been staring at a halftime deficit much worse than the 7-point one they faced going into the locker rooms at the half.
As their opponents rallied with the numerous second-chance shots that were given to them, Duke drained two key 3-point attempts late in the first half. Both of those baskets came right after Michigan State had narrowed the deficit to one basket, courtesy of Winslow and Rasheed Sulaimon.
Jones gave Duke their first double-digit lead of the night with the first points of the second half, converting all 3 free throws after getting fouled on a 3-point attempt.
While the game plan for Duke to feed Okafor inside may have seemed like an obvious strategy, there was perhaps an overemphasis on that point, as their offense sputtered over the next few minutes, going 1-6 after the first TV timeout of the half. Branden Dawson and Matt Costello combined to effectively stymie Okafor’s looks at the basket. Thankfully for Duke, Michigan State was also not shooting well, and even with Duke’s cold spell, it was not until the 12-minute mark that Michigan State was able to pull close at 51-48.
The decisive run of the game came right after that, as Duke went on a short 7-0 burst to take the lead back to 10. Ironically, most of that run was played with Okafor on the bench after he picked up his 4th foul. Quietly, Cook was having a solid outing for Duke, and he keyed the run with 2 baskets, 2 assists, and a rebound. By the time Jones, who scored all 17 of his points in the 2nd half, hit the free throw after his successful 3 to complete the 4-point play at the 8:00 mark, the lead was up to 13, and the game was effectively over.
With this win, coach Krzyzewski ups his win total to 986, and the inevitable march towards 1,000 career wins continues. Izzo expressed some disappointment, but also went on to say “we got out of this game what we wanted to get out of it. We competed and this team will get better.”
Overall, this was a good win for Duke against much tougher opposition than they had faced. Though starting 3 freshmen, this team plays with good chemistry, and fans will surely be looking forward to more of the exciting play they have seen thus far. As for Michigan State, they will have to work on ball security and better transition play. There were points in this game where they were able to get within sight of the lead, but they were unable to turn Duke misses into points of their own. In these early days of the season, both squads can be content in the knowledge that they each have one of the best coaches in the entire country to lead them forward.
Top Players
Duke: Quinn Cook, 19 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds
Michigan State: Travis Trice, 15 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds
(Featured image: espnevents.com)