It wasn’t an easy task choosing the Devil of the day against Kentucky. There were many worthy candidates. Jack White nearly notched a double-double getting double figure rebounding off of the bench. Marques Bolden with some spectacular defensive plays and giving Duke solid minutes. It could have gone to Zion, R.J., Cam.
I’m going to give the Devil of the Day to Tre Jones. Jones played basically mistake free basketball in this game. The freshman did his job and even though he only went 2-7 from the field for 6 points the more important stat was 7 assists to 0 turnovers. Having a presence like that in the backcourt certainly translates to numbers but Tre showed a presence on both ends of the floor with his ball-pressure that is immeasurable if he can keep it up throughout the season. Jones played 30 minutes and is a guy was crucial in slowing the Devils down when they needed it and speeding them up when it was appropriate.
Jones had to leave the game for a few minutes nursing what looked like a possible hip injury and Duke seemed to go off the rails in his absence which led to a small Kentucky run, when Jones returned after a media time out he settled the team down and things were right back on track. These types of situations demonstrate his value and will prove to be a huge factor in how this season goes so Tre Jones is my Devil of the Day vs the Kentucky Wildcats.
