Duke on a three-game winning streak after scrapping early-season offense

PHOTO (Duke Athletics): Matthew Hurt shoots over Wake Forest. By TOM SHANAHAN Two months ago, Duke basketball opened the season ranked No. 8, a projection based on a deep and talented roster. Only its youth prevented a higher level. A month ago, following home losses to Michigan State and Illinois, Duke looked like 10 or 11 jagged puzzle pieces from separate boxes scrambled together, They didn’t fit. Offensive rhythm eluded them. “We are just an average team that…

Continue ReadingDuke on a three-game winning streak after scrapping early-season offense

Duke hoop finds rhythm with three guards; football adds 18 recruits

PHOTO (Duke Athletics): Matthew Hurt drives on Notre Dame. By TOM SHANAHAN They’re some of the top basketball recruits in the nation, but they also are essentially strangers in this oddest of seasons. The COVID-19 pandemic slowed their transition from highlighting individual skills in AAU ball to executing at the Division I college level. The eight days without a game -- following losses at home to Top 10 teams Michigan State Dec. 1 and Illinois Dec. 8 --…

Continue ReadingDuke hoop finds rhythm with three guards; football adds 18 recruits

Goldwire plays new role navigating Duke’s learning curve as backcourt leader

By TOM SHANAHAN Time moves quickly in modern college basketball, especially in the era of NBA one-and-dones. Or in the case of Tre Jones, two-and-done. A year ago, Jordan Goldwire was the inexperienced guard without a career start learning to complement Jones, the returning starting point guard. They grew into a good fit. The lightly recruited 6-foot-2, 184-pounder from Norcross, Georgia, could spell Jones or play extended minutes when Jones was in foul trouble or missed a game…

Continue ReadingGoldwire plays new role navigating Duke’s learning curve as backcourt leader