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SportsPulse: Today's United States, Scott Gleeson Sports tells us which freshman to watch early in college.
UNITED STATES TODAY & # 39; HUI

Zion Williamson of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates his game against the Kentucky Wildcats at the State Farm Champions Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.(Photo: Andy Lyons, Getty Images)

Even though five-time NCAA coach-trainer Mike Krzyzewski is surprised at how ridiculously good his team was at the opening night, he puts into perspective how amazing the Duke was. in his film. 34 points win against Kentucky Tuesday night

"You start four freshmen, no matter how talented you are, you never know what they're going to do in this environment against an outstanding team and a great program, and they responded," Krzyzewski told reporters. after the game.

Boy have they.

The Blue Devils' elite freshmen were just as advertised – and then some. The three-headed monster of R.J. Barrett (33 points), Zion Williamson (28 points) and Cam Reddish (22 points) combined for 83 of 118 points of Duke.

But the statistics sheet tells only half of the story. C & # 39; was How these teenagers introduced themselves to the world of university basketball. Barrett, who has extensive international experience as a player for Canada, managed to make the basket as he pleased and used his versatility and soft left-handed attack to destroy Kentucky's defense. Williamson, a folk hero before falling asleep before Tuesday night, proved that he was more than just an athletic specimen and a damn complete player – with emotion. highlighted with a monstrous block, then smooth bounce passes to Barrett.

But it's really the pace of Tuesday night's game that made the difference. This team absolutely thrives in the transition, forcing turnarounds and presenting themselves to the audience. It starts with the defense, but it should also be noted how much this group already looks cohesive in the half-court and full-court scenarios – the first day – Senior goalkeeper Tre Jones has allowed seven assists decisive – without setbacks – and seems to be the ideal general to stick this team together.

In the grand scheme of things, what does a dominant night mean? Of course, the Blue Devils have impressed and even surpassed the pre-season hype. But they eliminated a team from Kentucky who is so young and who discovers it again. That said, the manner in which Kansas' No. 1 stumbled late in its opening match against the Michigan State Champion raises the question of how much the outcome would have been different in the face of such a team. than KU who has more experience and more comprehensive weapons than Kentucky.

In fact, Duke lost virtually all the major players of last season and played as he had brought back several All-Americans. Admittedly, the first three potential picks of the 2019 NBA selection on a single roster will quickly take over the Grayson Allen era, but at the end of the day they are still a group of youngsters playing like veterans and showing a chemistry do not bloom until January or February.

Fab Four? The freshmen of Duke Blue Devils are waiting to be introduced as starters before playing against the Kentucky Wildcats at the Champions Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. (Photo: Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports)

"I do not think age makes a big difference with this team," said Reddish. told USA TODAY Sports before the 2018-19 info. "Everyone is disinterested, and our coaching team will help us (mature) quickly."

The first judgments at a glance on a young team do not usually provide for the clean cut of the month of March, but this Duke team is the exception. Seriously. Of all the teams that have amazed us over the last decade or the "one and done" (John Calipari's almost unannounced Kentucky team in 2014-15 in Kentucky), this team Duke has a different anatomy.

With Barrett, Williamson and Barrett around 6-7 and multi-dimensional, the Blue Devils can play a unique mark of basketball without a position, posing nightmarish problems against any opponent. This group showed some weaknesses against Kentucky, dropping their foot on gasoline and getting into big problems. But even a lack of depth or size (the UK had a lot more on Tuesday) does not conclude that Duke has three – and maybe four players – that coach K can give the ball at the end of the match in difficult situations.

The pre-season flyer nailed this team to # 3 of the coaching survey and # 4 in the standings Associated press survey. Suffice to say that Duke was underestimated before.

So let's ask: Can Duke stay undefeated in 2018-19?

"It's a very good team," said Calipari after Tuesday's loss. "If they play like that, they will not lose much, if that's what they are."

The Blue Devils have off-conference tests against Indiana (November 27) and Texas Tech (Dec. 20), but it would be amazing to see this team get rid of it until the ACC plays, where the number 5 Virginia leads five other top 25 ranked ACC teams.

But the short answer is yes, the possibility of an undefeated season deserves to be discussed.

The fashionable train was not at full speed, so it is perfectly reasonable to start it now.

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