Duke Blue Devils

Duke Basketball Blows Out Maine With Bolden, Tatum Return

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Luke Kennard stars for Duke Basketball against Maine as Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden make their NCAA debuts, Grayson Allen and Frank Jackson sit.

Duke returned to action today to rout Maine in a 94-55 victory. Sophomore guard Luke Kennard had a career game for the Blue Devils and dominated despite Mike Krzyzewski’s changes with the lineup today.

Earlier this year we questioned if Luke Kennard is the real deal after dominating for Duke in the preseason. So far he has lived up to the hype and has proven he can be a huge asset this season for the Blue Devils. With Grayson Allen and Frank Jackson both sitting, Kennard led the Blue Devils with a career-high 35 points and added 8 rebounds. The most impressive part is how efficient he was from the field, making 11-16 shots and all nine of his free throws. Redshirt senior Amile Jefferson also played a huge role for Duke recording 20 points and 9 rebounds.

Despite Kennard’s dominance, the big story from this game is Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden making their season debuts. Both players struggled early on but will be able to make an impact once they get into shape. Tatum was inserted into the starting lineup to score 10 points and grab 8 rebounds while Bolden added 7 and 5 off the bench. Freshman forward Harry Giles is still reportedly a little ways off from returning from his knee procedure, but recently participated in practice for the Blue Devils and could make his anticipated debut soon.

Duke Basketball will return to action on Tuesday in New York City for a Jimmy V Classic matchup against Florida. Grayson Allen sat out today to rest a lingering foot injury, but Frank Jackson’s absence is a little unknown. Hopefully both players will be back for the next game as Duke continues to get healthier before conference play begins.