Duke more than just Jahlil Okafor

Jahlil Okafor

Duke center Jahlil Okafor, the most enticing talent in college basketball, had four fouls. And Michigan State wasn’t going away. There were nine minutes left Tuesday night.

Could the Blue Devils hold their seven-point lead without the one guy the Spartans absolutely, positively could not guard? Could they find enough baskets without the ease of throwing the ball inside to the 6-foot-11, 280-pound freshman?

This was going to be interesting.

Turned out to not be that interesting after all, at least in terms of any drama. Duke’s supporting cast – an unfair term for a bunch of guys that talented – immediately took control and pushed the lead to 13 points. Game essentially over. The lead was never single digits again, and the Blue Devils coasted in for an 81-71 victory in the Champions Classic.

This is not a vintage Michigan State team, and it is without a few pieces right now. It will be a while before we see how good the Spartans can be. But they will always challenge a team's toughness and effort, and Duke passed that early test in a big-time atmosphere.

Okafor finished with 17 points but scored just two points in the final 16 minutes. And it didn’t matter a bit

Why? Because fellow freshmen Justise Winslow (15 points, six rebounds; think Michael Kidd-Gilchrist) and Tyus Jones are really good, and because senior Quinn Cook has effectively taken over stewardship of the team the way so many Duke seniors have done before him under Mike Krzyzewski.