Duke basketball

No. 16 Duke got punched in the mouth in the opening minutes of Wednesday evening's matchup at N.C. State, yielding the game's first 15 points.

Where the Blue Devils struggled to turn possessions into points and rebounds into shots, the Wolfpack did not. Duke struggled to execute even the simple things, like dropping easy passes and fumbling the ball out of bounds, allowing the Wolfpack to surge forward relatively uncontested. State’s 44 total points and contributed to a hectic opening period for the Blue Devils in which they were outrun and outperformed by a relentless N.C. Duke struggled to control the ball throughout the first half, turning it over 13 times and shooting a measly 7-for-24 from the floor. It was Wolfpack redshirt junior Greg Gantt who struck first on his home court, making the most of a mistake on Duke’s end to run it back for the opening layup. 16 Duke got punched in the mouth in the opening minutes of Wednesday evening’s matchup at N.C.

No one is going to argue that how Duke played in Raleigh was acceptable. Jeremy Roach didn't. Kyle Filipowski didn't. Jon Scheyer certainly didn't.

It might help you feel better or get more followers, but it won’t help him and it probably won’t help his team. For his part, Coach K used them as testing material and while he detested losing, he always said that failure was valuable. But it did, and with a certain regularity.

Blue Devils, led by head coach Jon Scheyer, lost to the Wolfpack at PNC Arena in Raleigh. Who won the NCAA game? What was the final score?

The blistering Duke took at N.C. It was so bad for Duke that, having committed only three fouls in the first 19:30 of the half, the Blue Devils committed three quick fouls trying to stop N.C. The Blue Devils have little time to gather themselves. What did we do in this game, whether it’s an hour before or a day before, that we an learn from this? Wednesday night’s game was more like a left hook to the jaw. 14 and have road games at Virginia Tech on Jan. The 6-2 Roach is now 5 for 25 from the field over his last three games, including a nine-point effort at Wake Forest. It’s not okay to have a night like this and for us to learn from it, we have to grow and change. After scoring 16 in Duke’s 86-67 win over Florida State on Saturday, Whitehead tallied 12 against N.C. Alas, that was one embarrassment the Blue Devils didn’t suffer on Wednesday night. 20 was a slap to the face. But Jarkel Joiner found just enough space in the left corner to drill a 3-pointer at the buzzer putting the Wolfpack up by 22.

Terquavion Smith said that he was going to go right at Duke's guards and, as they say, it ain't bragging if you can do it. And he, and his unranked State ...

Unfortunately, Proctor charged and the ball went right back to State and another late run by the Pack kept the game firmly out of reach. 16 Duke early](https://www.pilotonline.com/sports/college/vp-sp-college-hoops-online-0104-20230105-qywyvc7535hu7bnl2xdf3bcr3a-story.html) State](https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2023/01/duke-mens-basketball-nc-state-halftime) [ROUTED IN RALEIGH: Duke men’s basketball trounced on the road at N.C. Jaylen Blakes had a nice steal where he too hit the floor and got the ball out to Tyrese Proctor. 16 Duke](https://www.technicianonline.com/sports/fire-and-ice-smith-joiner-lead-pack-men-s-basketball-to-blowout-win-over-no/article_be934b56-8cb3-11ed-b8eb-9fdf02b79a75.html) [College basketball roundup: N.C. Duke didn’t get on the scoreboard until the score was 15-0 and Mark Mitchell finally got a dunk with about 12:20 left. State](https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2023/01/duke-mens-basketball-nc-state-terquavion-smith) [Triangle rivals serve up good stuff amid dull ACC season as NC State explodes, Duke implodes](https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/luke-decock/article270752732.html#storylink=mainstage_lead) [‘Punch them in the mouth.’ How NC State backed down Duke in a thrilling, 24-point win](https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/nc-state/article270788557.html#storylink=mainstage_card) [Duke coach Jon Scheyer on loss to NC State](https://www.fayobserver.com/videos/sports/college/acc/2023/01/05/what-duke-basketball-coach-jon-scheyer-said-after-blowout-loss-nc-state/10993650002/) [Duke basketball misses first 13 shots, gets blown out at NC State](https://www.fayobserver.com/story/sports/college/acc/2023/01/05/duke-basketball-throttled-nc-state-blowout-loss-jon-scheyer-kevin-keatts/69774113007/) [Roach: Very disappointed we didn’t come out and fight](https://www.wralsportsfan.com/roach-very-disappointed-we-didn-t-come-out-and-fight/20657172/) [Fire and Ice: Smith, Joiner lead Pack men’s basketball to blowout win over No. NC State was more intense, more confident and, really, better in every way. [Box Score](https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401488411) [5 observations from Duke men’s basketball’s first half against N.C. Duke had 18 and six were offensive. Terquavion Smith said that he was going to go right at Duke’s guards and, as they say, it ain’t bragging if you can do it. Duke’s first half against NC State was really bad.

The Duke Blue Devils got punched in the mouth Wednesday by the NC State Wolfpack, with Duke basketball suffering...

The Blue Devils trailed NC State by 16 points by the end of the first half. With its loss to the Wolfpack, it won’t be surprising to see the next iteration of the AP Top 25 list without Duke basketball on it. If that sounded like a type of loss the Blue Devils had not absorbed before, it’s because it is.

A collection of links about Kentucky basketball, Duke basketball, Alabama Crimson Tide, Bobby Petrino, Texas A&M and more.

[Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports writes:](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/bobby-petrino-to-join-texas-a-m-as-offensive-coordinator-jimbo-fisher-adding-ex-arkansas-coach-per-reports/) “Texas A&M is finalizing a deal to hire Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator, according to multiple reports. The Aggies (9-5, 1-0) began Wednesday’s game trailing 1-0 after drawing a technical foul for a delay of game due to their uniforms being left at the hotel. Brown of the Bryan/College Station Eagle writes:](https://theeagle.com/sports/college/aggiesports/mens_basketball/texas-a-m-mens-basketball-team-rolls-with-punches-to-win-sec-opener-at-florida/article_4aa4cf14-8cb1-11ed-85c9-1f68ef94acb9.html) “In a game that saw the Texas A&M men’s basketball team comically unprepared to start, the Aggies’ readiness to roll with challenges helped them beat Florida 66-63 in their Southeastern Conference opener. [Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News and Observer writes:](https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/luke-decock/article270752732.html) “This hasn’t been the most compelling season of ACC basketball so far, maybe the least interesting in a generation, especially in these parts. Iowa’s average starting field position in the game was its own 35-yard line. Florida (7-7, 0-2) was given a technical foul free throw prior to the tip.” The Bulldogs (11-3, 1-0 SEC) pulled away to upset the No. 13 Razorbacks rallied from a 17-point deficit in the first half to beat No. 1 overall seed in the 2023 version of March Madness after just one game — but the Cats now find themselves clinging to a spot in the NCAA Tournament conversation. The No. [Ben Roberts of the Herald-Leader writes:](https://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article270772172.html#storylink=cpy) “UK (10-4, 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference) was ranked No. But in an ACC season that’s been dull if not downright stultifying at times, basketball in the Triangle retains the capability to both shock and captivate, and whatever anyone might have expected from Duke and N.C.

On Wednesday night, the Duke basketball squad plays on the road against an NC State team that employs a much older starting lineup than the Blue Devils.

Then they return to the friendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium to host the Pitt Panthers next Wednesday night. Next up for the Duke Blue Devils is a trip to Chestnut Hills, Mass., to take on the unranked Boston College Eagles at 1 p.m. Meanwhile, sixth-year NC State head coach Kevin Keatts will again rely on a guard-heavy starting five with considerably more experience than Duke's group. Once again, first-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer is rolling out a freshman-heavy lineup, the same group that started in the team's 86-67 home win over the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday: Entering the contest, the No. The Duke basketball team is in Raleigh to face the NC State Wolfpack at 7 p.m.