Head coach Mike Krzyzewski has seen hesitancy in his shooters lately. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY
Every Saturday, the News & Observer takes a look around the ACC. That also provides an opportunity to check in with the Blue Devils and look for any emerging trends.
A few minutes after Duke had been run off the court by the Miami students rushing the floor, Mike Krzyzewski couldn’t find any silver linings in the 90-63 loss.
“I can’t think of any, no,” he said when asked.
There really was no sugarcoating the 27-point loss, one of the worst in the Krzyzewski era. Duke shot below 30 percent from the field for the first time since Feb. 21, 2010, but the Blue Devils won that game against Virginia Tech. There was no such solace Wednesday night.
Duke also shot its worst percentage from 3-point range (17.4 percent) since Jan. 13, 2010, when the team went 1-for-12 (8.3 percent) in a 20-point win over Boston College.
The Blue Devils shooting woes were somewhat foreshadowed by a slow start in their previous game, against Georgia Tech. Duke shot 27.3 percent from the field in the first half. More concerning, though, was the team’s reaction to their collective cold streak.
“I thought we were hesitant to shooting, and no team of mine should be that way,” he said after the win over the Yellow Jackets. “I let our guys shoot, so if you are stopping yourself from shooting, there is something wrong.”
Duke responded against Georgia Tech by shooting 53.1 percent in the second half. On Wednesday in Miami, that turnaround never came.
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