Kyrie Irving left after his one and only injury-filled season at Duke, so coach Mike Krzyzewski simply replaced him with two more freshmen this season.
Austin Rivers, the son of former Hawks player and current Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, has started all 15 games and has averaged 14.7 points per game to lead Duke (13-2) and all ACC freshmen.
Fellow freshman Quinn Cook joined him the lineup in Saturday’s win at Georgia Tech and finished with 10 points and five assists in his first collegiate start.
“[Cook] was playing fairly well before Christmas, but after Christmas it just seemed like his body and mind and everything was now ready to make this step,’’ Krzyzewski said on the ACC teleconference.
Cook missed preseason practices with a knee injury and slowly gained playing time and experience until Krzyzewski moved him into the lineup, replacing Tyler Thornton, who had started the six previous games.
“I still like what Tyler does for us,” Krzyzewski said. “Tyler has probably been one of our most steady players. Quinn is healthy now. It’s taken a while to get him to that spot.”
Hot shot
Maryland guard Terrell Stoglin has scored 20 or more points in 10 of the Terrapins’ 14 games and leads the ACC in scoring at 21.4 points per game, but first-year coach Mark Turgeon wants him to share the wealth.
He didn’t have an assist in North Carolina State’s win over Maryland on Sunday, often failing to pass to Alex Len, Maryland’s 7-foot-1 center, around the basket.
“We’re not going to win if he doesn’t trust his teammates more,” Turgeon told The Washington Post. “We’re getting better. He has got to trust Alex, because Alex can make a play.”
Have not
Boston College (5-10) has lost seven of its past 10 games, is 0-3 on the road and has started five freshmen in each of its past two games, including a loss at North Carolina on Saturday.
On a roll
North Carolina’s Kendall Marshall had 11 assists in Saturday’s win, the seventh time he has reached double figures in assists this season and 13th time in his career.
Travis McKie matched his career high with 15 rebounds to go with 12 points and complete a double-double in Wake Forest’s victory over Virginia Tech.
Miami’s Malcolm Grant had made at least one 3-pointer in 35 consecutive games, tying the school record, also held by Jack McClinton, entering Tuesday’s game at North Carolina. It’s the 11th-best streak in ACC history.
Local ties
Lorenzo Brown (Centennial) and Richard Howell (Wheeler) are two of five N.C. State players averaging in double figures.
C.J. Leslie leads the Wolfpack with 13.5 points, Scott Wood is at 12.9, followed by Brown (12.4), C.J. Williams (12.1) and Howell (12.1).
Wood has made all 37 of his free-throw attempts, and Howell is third in the ACC in rebounding at 9.5 per game for N.C. State (12-4), which has won six consecutive games.
Must-see TV
Virginia at Duke, 9 p.m. Thursday (ESPN)
Around the conference
Miami freshman guard Shane Larkin’s dad, Barry, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday. Barry Larkin played shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds from 1986-2004, leading the Reds to the 1990 World Series title. Shane Larkin has averaged 8.2 points. … Clemson senior guard Andre Young (Deerfield-Windsor) scored 18 points Saturday to surpass the 1,000-point mark for his career. He has 1,009 points. … Duke’s Mason Plumlee has seven double-doubles this season. … Virginia has held six opponents to fewer than 20 points in a half this season. The Cavaliers held Miami to 17 points on Saturday.
Quotable
“We’ve really been working on positioning with him — not leading guys in for layups and things. He’s got tremendous length, and he’s using his length, and that’s really what we’re trying to do with him, and play without fouling. I thought his length really affected [N.C. State] and he didn’t block a lot of shots, as many as he is capable, but he affected a lot and was then able to turn and get the rebound. Alex just needs to add strength.” — Turgeon on Len, the ACC freshman of the week
By the numbers
4 New coaches in the ACC: Turgeon, Brian Gregory (Georgia Tech, Jim Larranaga (Miami), Mark Gottfried (N.C. State)
15 Consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer for Boston College's Matt Humphrey
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