Duke basketball has a “cheat code” as the Blue Devils begin their quest to win a sixth national championship this season.
Hoping to win its first title in a decade, Duke has a trio of defensive disruptors capable of vaulting the program to the top of the sport in Jon Scheyer’s third season as head coach.
Let’s start with 6-foot-9 freshman forward Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and a player known more for his defensive versatility than his ability to put the ball in the basket.
Flagg had four blocks in Duke’s exhibition rout of Lincoln (Pa.), nearly hitting his head on the backboard as he swatted a shot against the glass.
”He has great instincts, obviously, with how hard he plays,” Scheyer said. “And then, you add in his feel, he’s going to make some special plays.”
Then there’s freshman Khaman Maluach, a 7-foot-2 center with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. The South Sudanese post player had two blocks in the Blue Devils’ rout of Arizona State, including a volleyball spike.
But his intimidating presence was felt beyond the box score as the Sun Devils altered shot after shot to avoid Maluach’s impressive reach.
“He’s just scratching the surface, man,” Scheyer said. “. … His rim protection and energy is special.”
Finally, we turn to Syracuse transfer Maliq Brown, an All-ACC defender who joins the Blue Devils as a seasoned 6-foot-9, 222-pound junior. The king of deflections throughout the offseason, according to his Duke teammates, Brown had four games with multiple blocks last season. He swatted a career-high six shots against Louisville.
“With Maliq, he has incredible hands, moves his feet really well,” Flagg said. “With Khaman, 7-2, above the rim blocking shots. That’s rim protection you don’t see every day.”
When asked about the backline presence of himself, Brown and Flagg, Maluach smiled before providing an answer.
“I would say it’s a cheat code,” Maluach said. “Because of our length, wingspan, we all cover ground and that’s definitely a cheat code. The connection that we have is great.”
Brown agreed: “With our wingspan and the way we can move … it’s incredible. It’s definitely a cheat code with how everybody can guard 1-5.”
Duke basketball’s history with shot blockers
Duke produced a top-20 defense, according to KenPom.com, in each of its first two seasons under Scheyer. But after finishing 38th in block percentage with Dereck Lively in Scheyer’s debut season, the Blue Devils lacked rim protection in Year 2, falling to 142nd in that category.
The Blue Devils have won a national championship without a true disruptor on the interior, cutting down the nets in 2015 after finishing 192nd in block percentage. That group still finished 11th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
But there’s no doubt having a shot-blocker or several shot-blockers has the ability to unlock a new level for a defense.
“It can change if you have the right mentality and right approach on the defensive end,” Scheyer said of rim protection.
“I think the best defensive teams, they have a mindset to stop people and make it a long day when you show up to any game.”
Being “physical without fouling” to keep teams out of the paint, Scheyer added, is the first step. That’s been a focus throughout an offseason centered around creating peak competitiveness.
“The more you can eliminate those easy opportunities, the better,” Scheyer said.
Going back to 1997 on KenPom.com, Duke has produced four top-15 finishes in block percentage. In those four seasons, Duke was the national runner-up (1999), a Final Four participant (2004) and Sweet 16 participant (2005), and advanced to the Elite Eight (2019)
UConn, the reigning back-to-back national champion, was a top-five team in block percentage in each of those title-winning seasons, with 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan serving as the primary rim-protector. It’s a path Duke is capable of following this year.
Mason Gillis, Jon Scheyer on Blue Devils’ defensive potential
Purdue transfer Mason Gillis has played more college basketball games than anyone on Duke’s roster.
With 132 games on his resume, including a national-championship appearance in his final game with the Boilermakers, Gillis is equipped to gauge the defensive capability of the Blue Devils’ talented roster.
“With our length, and size and intellect, we should be able to hold teams to low scores every single time,” Gillis said.
So far, Scheyer likes what he sees from Brown, Flagg and Maluach.
“I love their intent. … You can’t be afraid of looking bad as a rim protector,” Scheyer said.
“You may get dunked once in a while, you may get scored on, but our mentality has been going after everything. And those guys have done that. They’re fearless, which I love.”
If the Blue Devils can tap into that potential and a possible “cheat code” with their back line, they could be the ones celebrating in San Antonio come April.
