Duke answers Jalen Rose’s vulnerability claim with statement win over Michigan

Jalen Rose believed Duke entered Saturday’s matchup with No. 1 Michigan more vulnerable than in past seasons.

The longtime analyst questioned why the Blue Devils weren’t being discussed the way elite Duke teams typically are with multiple projected top-10 NBA Draft picks. Instead, most of the national conversation centered on freshman star Cameron Boozer.

“Usually a good Duke team has multiple big-time players,” Rose said prior to the game on the TNT broadcast. “Every time we talk about Duke, we’re only talking about one player. That’s going to be their problem versus Michigan.”

In the end, that narrative looked premature. No. 3 Duke outlasted top-ranked Michigan 68-63 on a neutral floor in Washington DC, making the necessary plays down the stretch of a tight, physical contest that could preview a March rematch. The Blue Devils didn’t rely solely on Boozer, even if their best player delivered when it mattered most.

Boozer finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, scoring seven consecutive Duke points in the closing minutes to seize control. But the supporting cast answered Rose’s concerns.

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Caleb Foster knocked down key perimeter shots and handled the ball under pressure. Patrick Ngongba II impacted the game defensively and on the glass. Nikolas Khamenia provided quality minutes off the bench, and Isaiah Evans remained aggressive despite an off shooting night.

Duke now owns just two losses by one point to Texas Tech after leading by 17, and by three at North Carolina after leading by 13. But Saturday showed growth in late-game execution.

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The Blue Devils may not boast the most explosive offense among contenders like Arizona, UConn or Houston. But with their defensive edge and a National Player of the Year frontrunner in Boozer, Duke made a clear statement that vulnerability was overstated.

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