No. 5 Duke rallied from 13 points down late in the second half Monday for an 83-75 road win over No. 25 Miami.
Duke (16-2) used a late 18-0 run to evaporate Miami's lead. Blue Devils senior leader Grayson Allen was held to just five points, but their freshmen showed enough poise to fight back.
Here are three takeaways from Duke's win over Miami
1. Marvin Bagley III, Wendell Carter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. could take over college basketball (for a season) — Bagley and Carter rightly get most of the attention — especially by NBA scouts, but Trent proved why he was a top-10 recruit entering college by scoring a career-high 30 points while knocking down 6 of 9 from 3-point range. Trent's ability to shoot and drive makes him an elite scorer.
Bagley gave Duke fans a scare early, leaving the game with an apparent injury, but he returned to score 13 points with 12 rebounds. Likely the top pick in this year's NBA Draft, Bagley continues to dominate college basketball.
Carter, sometimes the third wheel on Duke behind Bagley and Allen, looked like a future NBA star Monday, scoring 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting with 14 rebounds. He now has eight double-doubles this season.
2. Miami needs a consistent go-to scorer — Losing a big lead late is never easy, but the Hurricanes (13-4) have a bigger problem moving forward. For all of its talent, Miami really doesn't have a gritty, go-to scorer ready to win games. Bruce Brown Jr. has been the most consistent scorer this season, but he mustered just four points on 2-of-9 shooting.
Lonnie Walker, a five-star freshman, stepped up with 19 points, and Dewan Huell added 18 points, but the Hurricanes went cold late in the second half and no one demanded the ball.
3. Trevon Duval's development key to Duke's March success — Duke always has an elite point guard, it's been that way for years. Duval, another five-star freshman, has taken some lumps this season, forcing Allen to run point at times. Duval displayed some of his best form Monday, pushing tempo and creating his own shots on a consistent basis.
Duval scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting with eight assists. He did have five turnovers, but Duval proved he could lead the offense in a big game. Duke needs more performances like this out of Duval in order to make a long NCAA Tournament run in March.
