Shellshocking Duke basketball freshman 'changed the team'

Dereck Lively II is already among Duke basketball's all-time best swatters.

Big men typically take longer to adjust to the college game, and early injury setbacks certainly don't help. But now that Duke basketball's Dereck Lively II has found his groove, he's setting program records. And due to his perseverance, positivity, and prowess, the No. 5 seed Blue Devils have become bonafide contenders in March.

"It's totally changed our team," first-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer said about the long-limbed 7-footer's presence and emergence following Thursday night's comfortable 74-51 win over No. 12 seed Oral Roberts in Orlando, giving Scheyer the 1-0 overall March Madness record that his predecessor, Mike Krzyzewski, never held.

"Really, the second half of the season, Dereck has been on an absolute tear. His rebounding, his blocking shots, he's been scoring in double digits, too, and he's the ultimate team player." 

Lively, who arrived in Durham with giant-sized expectations at No. 1 overall on the 247Sports 2022 Composite, sustained a calf injury in early October, costing him critical preseason practice time and the opener. He then struggled to produce more than a few rebounds, blocks, and points per game across the first half of the season.

Fast forward to the present, and the Dereck Lively II story at Duke looks so much brighter, with the possibility of a storybook ending.

On Thursday night, the 19-year-old Philadelphia native, a projected one-and-done, swatted away six of the Golden Eagles' shots and no doubt discouraged their guards from entering the paint on countless occasions.

On that note, Oral Roberts star guard Max Abmas finished with only 12 points, 10 below his season average, shooting 4-for-15 from the field while committing a game-high five turnovers.

DERECK LIVELY WITH THE REJECTION 🚫#MarchMadness @DukeMBB pic.twitter.com/eEHQF6k8aR

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 17, 2023

"I think it's a shellshock for [opponents]," first-year Duke backcourt starter Tyrese Proctor said in the locker room afterward about the height and gifts of Lively and Duke's other 7-foot force in ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP Kyle Filipowski. "Obviously, they're tall and athletic...

"But just how they move off the ball on defense and stuff like that, it's a huge key for our defense and why we're so good at it."

Scheyer agrees.

"He's defending up there with Abmas the whole game," he noted about Lively, "showing in pick-and-roll and then getting back and protecting our basket. I don't know if there's anybody else in the country that can do it like that."

The full-time starting center added 12 boards, four points, and one dime in his NCAA Tournament debut, not to mention committing only two fouls and one turnover in 29 minutes on the floor. Lively's block party set a Duke basketball freshman record in an NCAA Tournament game and marked the third most by any Blue Devil.

In the process, he improved to 80 blocks on the season, moving past Wendell Carter Jr. (76) and into second place for the most by any rookie in program history, trailing only Mike Gminski (90). At this point, it wouldn't be crazy to say that Lively might be the most naturally skilled shot-blocker that Duke has ever enjoyed.

As for Gminski's freshman record, it seems in serious jeopardy should the Blue Devils survive another round or two, beginning with their matchup against No. 4 seed Tennessee at 2:40 p.m. ET Saturday in Orlando's Amway Center.

Consider this: Across Duke's 10-game win streak, Lively has never finished with fewer than two blocks or more than one turnover while never missing more than one shot attempt. Yes, that level of deterrence on defense and efficiency on the other end is the perfect recipe for his success and the growth of this freshman-laden squad.

"This season, I just accepted it as my role, being able to protect the house," Dereck Lively II told the media following his performance against Oral Roberts. "Backing up my teammates is just something I've accepted and just something I've tried to excel at.

"Being able to have them know they can trust me to have their backs at any moment is something I've just accepted throughout this point."

A selfless, humble, ever-improving weapon with a wingspan seemingly put here on Earth for rim-protecting intimidation. For as long as it lasts, that's what Duke basketball has in Dereck Lively II.

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