Duke basketball freshman becoming nation's best shot-blocker

Nobody has blocked more shots across the past few weeks than Dereck Lively II, the official Twitter account for Duke basketball stats pointed out on Wednesday.

Lively, a long-limbed 7-foot-1 center who arrived in Durham at No. 1 overall on the 247Sports 2022 Composite but struggled the first few months of the season in getting acclimated to the college game, has 25 blocked shots in the Blue Devils' six games since Jan. 21 (an average of 4.2 per outing).

That's five more than Indiana big man Trayce Jackson-Davis, whose 20 mark the second-most, and eight more than No. 3 on the list, Auburn forward Johni Broome. Both Jackson-Davis and Broome have also played six games in this span.

In Duke basketball's 63-57 home win over archival UNC on Saturday, the 18-year-old Dereck Lively II set a program record in the rivalry with his eight blocks. He added 14 rebounds, four points, and two assists.

Dereck Lively II sent this one FLYING 😳

He's got 8 blocks on the night. pic.twitter.com/lLwiA5sqFm
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 5, 2023

Two nights later, his 11 points, six rebounds, and five blocks were one bright spot in the Blue Devils' 81-59 loss at No. 19 Miami.

The first-time ACC Rookie of the Week, now seemingly a full-time starter for the Blue Devils, averaged 30.0 minutes in those two games, boosting his season average to 17.9 minutes per game. Although his scoring average remains notably low at 4.7 points per game, his shot-blocking prowess now feels like one of the team's primary strengths.

Duke (17-7, 8-5 ACC) returns to action at 4 p.m. ET Saturday with another dreaded road contest against No. 8 Virginia. The young Blue Devils, currently No. 6 in the ACC standings, are 2-5 in opponents' gyms.

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