Justise Winslow might be Duke's most important freshman

HOUSTON — Duke's Justise Winslow had every reason to play like a freshman who had just turned 19 on Thursday.

He was in the midst of watching Duke teammates and Utah players on Friday run back and forth down the court at cavernous NRG Stadium and toss up one errant shot after another.

The Houston native could look into the crowd and see what he estimated to be 100 friends or family members at the South Region semifinals, with all eyes on him. And standing before him was a Utah defense that ranked among the nation's top five in defending shots inside the three-point line.

Immune to all that — the pressure, the backdrop, the defense — Winslow was the best player on the floor Friday. He had 21 points on 8 of 13 shooting. He also grabbed 10 rebounds, becoming just the third Duke freshman in history to have at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in an NCAA tournament game. He scored 11 of his 21 points outside the paint.

On a night when national player of the year candidate Jahlil Okafor had just six points and Duke scored just 63, the Blue Devils still won by six. A large reason was their defense, which coach Mike Krzyzewski thought was outstanding. But the biggest reason was Winslow. When he thrives, Duke, which will meet a stout Gonzaga team in Sunday's region final, is good enough to seriously contend for Krzyzewski's fifth national title.

As Friday night turned into early Saturday morning, the word Winslow kept using to describe how he felt on the court in the biggest game of his career, to date, was comfortable. Few others looked remotely comfortable early on, as both teams combined for 2 of 17 shooting in the early going. At halftime, only two other players in the game — Okafor and Utah's Dallin Bachynski — had made more than half their field goal attempts.

"The goal was still 10 feet," said Winslow, shrugging off the challenges of shooting inside the stadium.

The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Winslow is a unique blend of strength, athleticism and versatility. When asked to cite Winslow's single biggest on-court strength, teammate Amile Jefferson said, "He plays. I don't think there is just one thing he does best. There are a multitude of things he does really well."

Utah can attest to that.

Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak said his team was going to live with Winslow's ability to knock down three-point shots. Winslow wound up making 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, including back-to-back threes in the second half.

"It got us," Krystkowiak said. "No doubt about it."

Winslow's perimeter shooting needed some work when he arrived at Duke. Now it is part of his ever-expanding offensive repertoire.

The son of former Phi Slama Jama member Rickie Winslow, who played on Houston's 1984 national runner-up team, Winslow also saw his game blossom under the tutelage of former NBA player John Lucas. In the Houston area, Winslow played against NBA players since the start of high school.

Perhaps that's one of the reasons why he said he has never felt like a freshman at any point this season. He sure has not looked like one of late. He is playing his best basketball of the season, even as the stage grows with each game.

He believes the largest stride he made this season was in the mental aspect, his approach to the game and battling through nagging injuries. Krzyzewski said Winslow learned this season how to play at a little bit less than 100%.

Cook said Winslow showed glimpses of irrepressible talent through the course of the season. More and more, Cook said, flashes have become one consistent current of excellence. He has scored in double-figures in 27 games, tying Johnny Dawkins for seventh on Duke's list of double-digit scoring games by a freshman.

The play that defined Winslow's performance Friday came when Duke needed it most. With 3:44 remaining, and Utah on a 9-0 run, Winslow drove, rose, drew contact, hung in the air, converted a short jump shot and drew the foul. The three-point play appeared to put the game almost out of reach.

"Ooooh, "Cook gushed about the shot. "He played like a man out there … He plays angry."

Sophomore guard Matt Jones said the and-one basket was "just like a sigh of relief. For him to get that, it says volumes for him."

Krzyzewski has emphasized not only the baskets Winslow has made of late — he is averaging 14.1 points while shooting 48.6% from three-point range over his last 16 games -- but also the timeliness of the baskets.

"Points aren't important," Krzyzewski said. "But points in critical times, they are worth a lot more. He's getting all those points in critical times."

From a personal and performance standpoint, Krzyzewski said, Winslow is "in the midst of the best year of his life." Even with his age, the stadium backdrop and opposing defenses in mind, Winslow doesn't realize it isn't supposed to look this easy.

Playing before scores of friends and family Friday, he couldn't have scripted it any better. And with second-seeded Gonzaga looming in Sunday's Elite Eight, a chance for a hometown encore performance.

"It's just really special when you can look out beyond the bench and see your mom and siblings and that sort of thing …," Winslow said. "Once-in-a-lifetime experience."

With an eye on Sunday, he quickly corrected himself.

"Twice in a lifetime."