Highly regarded five-star freshman Isaiah Evans and four-star rookie guard Darren Harris remained on the bench for the Duke basketball team during their 77-72 loss to the No. 19-ranked Kentucky Wildcats in Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on Tuesday night. The same was true for five-star center Patrick Ngongba II, whose absence was expected as this was his first opportunity to play for the Blue Devils after recovering from foot issues.
The Kentucky team fielded multiple players who had played at least ten minutes, and their fresher legs gave them an advantage in the game’s final moments. However, following a significant victory on Saturday, where Evans, Harris, Ngongba, and eight others played a minimum of nine minutes against Wofford at Cameron Indoor Stadium, it would be surprising if all those Duke players participated in the upcoming game against the No. 9 Arizona Wildcats unless the score becomes lopsided. That game is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET Friday (ESPN2).
After witnessing his strong roster lead to an 86-35 win over Wofford, third-year head coach Jon Scheyer indicated that he does not plan to use all 11 players in close games this season. “We have 11 good players,” Scheyer said, “but I can’t — or at least we’re not going to — play all of them. It’s challenging to utilize such a large group.”
He emphasized the importance of finding a balance regarding playing time, focusing on aspects like defense, rebounding, supporting players like Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, and overall team fit. “Just because we start or play a certain way at this moment doesn’t mean that will be our approach moving forward. It will be a long process of growth throughout the season,” he remarked.
