College Basketball Week 11: 5 biggest takeaways
By Chris Stone
3. Matt Jones helps resurrect Duke’s season
Down 36-25 after the first 20 minutes of play at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Duke Blue Devils were treading water against the Miami Hurricanes. A loss wouldn’t have been backbreaking, but it certainly wouldn’t have produced any moral victories for a Duke team that came into the contest with a 2-3 record in the ACC and on a two game losing streak. Luckily for the Blue Devils, they were able to pull away in the second half, outscoring Miami 45-22 en route to a 12 point win.
Acting head coach Jeff Capel sat several of his starters for the second half as well-rounded glue guy Matt Jones played the best half of basketball in his career to power Duke. The senior scored 13 points, all in the second half, while knocked down a trio of 3-pointers to help give the Blue Devils the win.
In a sea of five-star recruits, it is Jones who helps keep everything together in Durham. A former four-star prospect himself, he is the Blue Devils best perimeter defender and a prolific outside shooter. He has played nearly every position for Duke this season, even spending many of the early games bringing the ball up the court for a roster that lacks a traditional point guard.
Most importantly, Jones knows his role on the team and is unselfish with the ball. It’s had a huge impact on the Blue Devils’ offensive production. According to Hoop Lens, Duke is scoring 113 points per 100 possessions against KenPom top 100 opponents with Jones on the floor. When he sits, that number craters to just 98 points per 100 possessions.
His performance on Saturday gives us an opportunity to recognize the important role that he plays for this Blue Devils team.