ONCE AGAIN stamping their authority as one of the toughest matchups in college basketball, the Duke Blue Devils secured another big win in the NCAAM on Wednesday, this time defeating the Miami Hurricanes by 37 points.

The Hurricanes played host at Watsco Centre, and would need to bring their best if they were to knock off a red-hot Duke outfit. The Blue Devils are the premier program within the NCAAM, and boast several NBA Draft prospects. While Miami has its own fair share of gun players, the hosts were always going to be up against it.

The Blue Devils led by 15 points at the main change, and although they trailed, the Hurricanes had put in a gutsy performance in the first 20 minutes. However, the second half was all one way traffic as Duke outscored Miami 50-28 en route to yet another big win.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be casting an eye over how the key players performed in the match, as some of the NCAAM’s best and brightest continue to display their craft on a nightly basis.

Duke Blue Devils (97) def. Miami Hurricanes (60)

Blue Devils:

#2 Cooper Flagg

The consensus number-one pick was back at it again in the big win over the Hurricanes, showing why he is considered the complete package for the NBA team with the top selection at this year’s draft. The forward was at his dangerous best against Miami, showing an ability to use his reputation to his advantage by scoring the basketball himself while also passing out of double teams and finding his teammates.

Flagg’s handle remains remarkable for his size and his shot creation in isolation is a massive weapon, as is his ability to fill lanes and finish off excellent plays for Duke. He finished the game with 16 points on an accurate 6/9 shooting from the field (also stretching the floor with a triple) to go with five rebounds and six assists in yet another performance worthy of a top pick.

#3 Isaiah Evans

Duke’s deadly scorer was again able to hit the scoreboard against Miami, making the Hurricanes pay for giving him too much liberty from behind the arc. All five of his makes came from three-point territory, with the Blue Devils looking to feed him around the arc given how well he was shooting the ball. Although he tried to get going inside as well, he did not find as much luck, finishing the game shooting 5/10 from the field and 5/8 from behind the arc en route to 16 points for the match.

#7 Kon Knueppel

The premier scorer for the match, Knueppel was a serious problem for the Hurricanes with his ability to score across all three levels as well as his disruptive nature on the defensive end. It was evident early in the contest that Knueppel was set to play a key role for the Blue Devils offensively, getting his eye in throughout the first half, before cashing in from behind the arc with some huge triples to help his side break away. To go alongside his game-high 20 points (6/8 FG, 4/5 3PT, 4/4 FT) and five rebounds, Knueppel recorded three steals to showcase his elite reading of the play and active hands at all times as he helped the Blue Devils create scoring opportunities off turnovers.

Hurricanes:

#1 Lynn Kidd

Despite it being a tough night at the office for his side, Hurricanes big man Kidd showed plenty of heart in the big loss to Duke. He was the most productive player for Miami in a match where the team struggled to consistently find avenues to scoring. Kidd played a crucial role in keeping the Hurricanes in the fight throughout the first half, and was well utilised rolling to the paint and scoring at the cup. He finished the contest with 17 points on 8/14 shooting from the field, with most of his makes coming inside the paint in a strong display of physicality.