The Blue Devils’ first ACC loss came without the seasoned transfer.
Duke basketball (20-3, 12-1 ACC) has been without veteran transfer wing Mason Gillis for the past two games. Gillis has been battling with an illness and did not travel with the team to the JMA Wireless Dome on February 6th, when the Blue Devils defeated Syracuse 83-54, or to Clemson, when the Blue Devils lost for the first game in ACC play 77-71 this past Saturday.
The wing attempted to board the plane to join the squad, but Duke head coach Jon Scheyer denied permission.
“He tried to board the plane, and we told him, ‘There’s no way.'” We will see when we go back. We will see how he is on Thursday. But if he isn’t here, it indicates he’s sick,” Scheyer remarked following the win against the Orange.
Duke now has a three-day break before its next game, a home game against California (12-12, 5-8 ACC) on Wednesday (9:00pm ET, ACC Network).
“I think not having Mason is a big deal,” Scheyer said after the defeat to Clemson. “I didn’t think we had a proper substitute for him. We either went smaller, or we played with lineups that were not as offensively effective for us. We were having difficulty scoring, so that’s something I need to sort out.”
The Blue Devils struggled to establish their scoring rhythm in the second half against the Tigers, converting only 9-of-29 (31%) field goals. Gillis only averages 4.9 points per game, but his ability to hit threes helps the Blue Devils to spread the floor even more.
What makes it tough to replace Gillis is that, while he is a superb shooter, he is also 6′ 6″ and 245 pounds, with the ability to post up inside and score back-to-the-basket or kick the ball out.
Prior to his injury, the senior had made 8 of 14 (57.1%) three-point tries in his previous five games. Gillis is expected to be ready to fly home Wednesday night after three days of recuperation.
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