Brandon Ingram disconsolate after Duke’s season-ending loss
ANAHEIM, Calif. — As Brandon Ingram emerged from Duke’s locker room after Thursday’s 82-68 loss to Oregon, one of the wealthiest men in America called out to get his attention.
“Good playing Brandon,” Nike founder Phil Knight shouted from across the hallway.
Ingram was too frustrated to acknowledge Knight’s compliment with more than a barely discernible head nod. The only thing that mattered to him at that moment was that Duke’s season was over sooner than he had hoped.
In what was almost certainly the final game of his Duke career, Ingram delivered a performance worthy of a potential No. 1 overall draft pick, scoring a team-high 24 points via a mix of smooth jumpers and aggressive forays to the rim. The 6-foot-9 freshman kept the fourth-seeded Blue Devils within striking distance into the second half but the Ducks were too deep, too athletic and too hungry to be beaten.
They altered Duke’s shots around the rim with their length. They torched Duke’s suspect perimeter defense off the dribble. And they turned every Duke turnover or long rebound into a rim-rattling transition dunk.
“We just didn’t play well enough,” a red-eyed Ingram lamented from a somber Duke locker room. “I tried not to think it could be my last game. Of course it doesn’t feel good at all, but it’s not going to change my relationship with this team. I love these guys. Outside of basketball, we still have great chemistry.”
Ingram’s misfortune is coming to Duke during a rare transition year for the program. He wasn’t part of last year’s national championship team the way his veteran teammates were, nor is he likely to still be in college by the time next year’s star-studded recruiting class arrives.
Anyone who likes watching Duke lose better keep Thursday’s game on DVR because Blue Devils losses may be rare next season. They get Jefferson back. They add three of the 10 best prospects in the country. And they return guards Matt Jones, Luke Kennard, Derryck Thornton and perhaps even Grayson Allen if he decides his stock is not as high as he’d like it to be.
That could make Duke the preseason No. 1 team in the country next fall. Kentucky is the only other team in the nation that could rival the Blue Devils thanks to its latest loaded recruiting class.
But while some of Ingram’s teammates were already speaking about what they learned from Thursday’s loss or what they hope to do better next year, Ingram was left to cope with the finality of the loss. The Sweet 16 exit was a huge disappointment to him even if Duke’s 25-win season as a whole was largely a success.
While Ingram often spoke of leading Duke to a second straight national championship, that goal became increasingly unrealistic over the course of the season. Forward Amile Jefferson suffered a December foot injury that turned out to be season-ending, McDonald’s All-American Chase Jeter never developed into a capable replacement and defense, depth and rebounding remained season-long weaknesses for Duke.
Along with his co-star Allen and emotional leader Marshall Plumlee, Ingram did everything in his power to keep Duke afloat.
He overcame a few rough November games, gained confidence with a 24-point outburst against Indiana and reduced most ACC defenses to rubble. He averaged 17.1 points per game and scored 20 or more in all three of Duke’s NCAA tournament games, showcasing impressive quickness, wingspan and competitiveness even if his frail frame still needs more time to fill out.
“Brandon is a hell of a competitor, a great player and a great person,” Duke guard Matt Jones said. “Obviously I wish we could have advanced more for him because I know just how much he loved playing for Duke and being around the guys.”
Though Ingram insisted he has not decided whether he’s entering the draft, he has to know that returning to school makes no sense for a near-certain top-five pick. He has to know that his lone shot at a national title is gone, that he’ll never play in a Final Four or celebrate an ACC championship.
Those thoughts seemed to weigh on him after Thursday’s loss.
“I love this team,” he said. “I’d do anything for this team.”
Ingram did everything possible on Thursday, but it wasn’t quite enough.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
