Duke 82, Rhode Island 79

Rhode Island shot 55% from the field yesterday, which is about 15% higher than the Blue Devils should have allowed. What's up with the Blue Devils?

1. Nolan Smith played 31 minutes at the point, but had only 2 assists. The Blue Devils had only 9 assists from the game.
2. The Blue Devils were outrebounded. Although the Blue Devils do not have any solid post men (Zoubek is okay, but limited, and Thomas has potential, but doesn't have a polished game), they usually have better instincts on retrieving the ball.
3. A weak bench. Paulus, Thomas, and McClure were the only players off the bench that had meaningful minutes. Only Thomas performed.

On the plus side, Duke won a game where they didn't play well. There is plenty of work needed to improve their team, and this game should be considered a "wake-up call".