"We're a Different Team" When Wendell Moore Is Playing Well
Duke sophomore Wendell Moore Jr. broke out of his slump in the Blue Devils’ 83-82 win over Boston College on Wednesday. After making one shot in his last 21 attempts spanning four games, Moore hit 8-of-13 against Boston College, tying a career high with 25 points.
“Extremely proud of Wendell,” said Duke associate head coach Jon Scheyer, who ran the team with Mike Krzyzewski serving a quarantine. “Clearly he’s not played well, but he’s worked his butt off. He’s gotten up in the morning basically every day we practiced with Coach (Chris) Carrawell, and they’re working. There’s been a lot of noise for these guys, whether it’s on social media or elsewhere. He’s able to block out the noise and kept working.”
Moore didn’t take a shot until 12:38 before halftime, when he banked in a three.
“Wendell’s always at his best when he’s playing defense, talking and leading,” Scheyer said. “At the start of the game, he did that. His offense came along as well. I can’t tell you how proud we are of him. He saved us throughout the entire game.”
Moore went 7-of-8 from the free throw line and had three steals.
“We’re a different team (when Moore is on his game),” Scheyer said. “I think his versatility is something we’ve missed. He’s a guy who really defended every position tonight. We had him flashing in the middle of the zone. We had him driving the ball from the perimeter. Obviously he got to the free throw line. He’s defending down on the block and guarding outside. We’re a team with seven new guys. Six are freshmen. Anyone who has experience, especially Jordan (Goldwire), Matt (Hurt) and Wendell, their veteran leadership is important. People respect Wendell when he says something but I really think about his versatility and what that does for our team.”
