Without Zion, Duke falls on road to Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- The Zion Williamson watch continues, and Duke's struggles without its star big man did, too, in a 77-72 loss to Virginia Tech on Tuesday.

While the Blue Devils managed to find a workaround without the potential player of the year against Syracuse last weekend, there was no such answer against the Hokies, who combined timely 3-pointers with a dominant performance in the paint, where Williamson's absence was glaring.

"We're used to having Zion down there," said Duke forwardCam Reddish, who finished with 17 points in the loss. "He gives us everything we need. We're trying to adjust to not having him, and day by day we're getting there; but hopefully, we'll have him back soon."

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said Monday there was no timetable for Williamson's return from a Grade 1 knee sprain, but after its second loss in three games, it is clear the team's other stars aren't quite ready to pick up all the slack.

"Against Syracuse, they played zone, and it really didn't matter that we didn't have a second big," Krzyzewski said. "Once we started the game [versus Virginia Tech], it was obvious we weren't getting our normal movements offensively and defensively, because they're accustomed to Zion being down there. We had to make some adjustments."

Instead of Williamson, it was Virginia Tech's big man, Kerry BlackshearJr., who stole the show. He was 7 of 11 from the floor and finished with 23 points and 10 boards, as Duke had few answers for his presence in the post.

Krzyzewski gushed over Blackshear after the game, but the unanswered question remained how a matchup against Williamson might have played out differently.

Of course, Virginia Tech wasn't interested in a pity party. The Hokies have been without their own star, point guard Justin Robinson, but they still managed to send Duke to its first loss in a true road game in a year.

The Hokies held RJ Barrett without a bucket for the first 19 minutes, 58 seconds of the game, and Krzyzewski said afterward that his other star freshman was dealing with an illness. That didn't stop Barrett from a monster second half that included 17 points, but it wasn't enough to stave off Virginia Tech. Duke tied the score twice down the stretch, but Hokies coach Buzz Williams called timeout both times, and his team responded with a sustained run after each.

It was an effort that underscored all of Virginia Tech's strength without its best player and highlighted Duke's flaws. The Blue Devils finished with just five fast-break points, corralled just six turnovers and were outscored in the paint -- numbers that would have seemed improbable with Williamson in the lineup.

Krzyzewski said his team is "worn out" and that has played a role in the recent struggles, too, but the immediate need for Duke is simply getting Williamson back onto the court.

"You want to go through things where you don't have to make all these adjustments," Krzyzewski said, "but we've had to do a lot of them."