After struggling to score with any kind of regularity a season ago, the Blue Devils debuted a new look offensive strategy made possible by the three newcomers in an easy 121-56 win over North Carolina Central.
Taylor King led the Blue Devils with 20 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench, while classmates Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith added 15 and 16 points apiece to lead Duke to its 26th consecutive home opening victory under head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Smith added four assists while Singler chipped in with eight rebounds, three blocks, and two assists.
The Eagles (0-1) got a rude welcome to their first season in Division I competition, falling behind 26-5 within the first nine minutes as Krzyzewski's bunch subbed frequently in order to maintain a fast paced tempo that proved to be too much for the visitors.
Joining the three freshmen in double figures were Gerald Henderson (15), Jon Scheyer (13), DeMarcus Nelson (10), and Martynas Pocius (10). Nelson added eight rebounds while Scheyer logged a team high six assists.
Perhaps the most noticeable change in the Duke strategy from last season was the distribution of minutes. On the night 10 players played 12 or more minutes with no player logging more than Scheyer's 24 minutes.
In the middle Duke got a combined 15 points and 11 rebounds from Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek in 38 minutes of action.
The Blue Devils return to the court on Monday night against New Mexico State. Tipoff is at 7:00 PM EST and the game will be televised on ESPN.