DURHAM, N.C. _ Jordan Goldwire's ascension from trusted but seldom used reserve to critical to Duke's playing rotation reached a peak moment last Saturday night.
While the No. 2-ranked Blue Devils were routing Miami, 95-62, Goldwire played four minutes more than Duke's starting point guard, Tre Jones.
The score makes it appear it was simply to give Jones, one of the nation's top point guards, a rest. But that's far from the case.
"He's just grown," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said following the game. "He's gotten better. He values the ball. He had four assists and no turnovers. He's just making simple really good plays. He can pressure the ball. He and Tre love playing with one another, not just for one another. So that depth on the perimeter has helped us."
That depth took a hit Saturday night when 6-6 freshman Wendell Moore injured his right hand with around four minutes to play. He was diagnosed with a fractured metacarpal bone which required surgery Monday to repair.
That makes Moore, who has played 22 minutes per game this season, unavailable for the foreseeable future, including Duke's ACC game at Georgia Tech Wednesday night (9 p.m. ACC Network).
Duke fans need not fret, though. Goldwire is ready to go as he gets a chance to play even more minutes in a game that will just happen to be played near his Norcross, Georgia, home.
Moore saw minutes at point guard, small forward and power forward.
Jones is established as Duke's starting point guard. But Goldwire replaced him in the starting lineup for two December games when Jones was out with a sprained foot.
He played so well that, even with Jones back in the lineup, he's played 44 turnover-free minutes as Duke beat Boston College, 88-49, on Dec. 31 before pounding Miami last Saturday.
On the bench due to two fouls for the final 10 minutes of the first half at Miami, Jones saw how well Goldwire is playing.
Duke led by three points when Jones picked up his second foul. By halftime, the Blue Devils led by 14.
"He continued to control the game, continued to pressure the ball," Jones said. "He defended how coach wanted us to and helped extend the lead. He was getting everyone involved, keeping everyone happy with the ball in their hands and setting everyone up for good shots."
Krzyzewski is using reserve players for more minutes on this season's team than he has in years. Even so, when the season started it appeared Goldwire would have to fight for minutes.
In November, Jones played 39 minutes in wins over Kansas and Georgetown and all 40 minutes when the Blue Devils beat Georgia State. He also played all 45 minutes of Duke's 85-83 overtime loss to Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 26 before playing all 40 minutes a week later when Duke won 87-75 at Michigan State.
Meanwhile, Goldwire played just five minutes against Georgetown and eight against Stephen F. Austin. He played 11 minutes against Georgia State and 13 against Kansas.
But he's improved his ball protection and continued to play strong defense, which have earned him the coach staff's trust.
That's true not only for this season, but his time in Durham.
During his freshman season in 2017-18, he only saw double-figure minutes in two ACC games.
Last season, that jumped to five times _ including 28 minutes in a game at North Carolina.
It was during Duke's 71-69 win at Louisville last Feb. 12, when Goldwire teamed with Jones in the backcourt to spark an historic comeback from a 23-point deficit in the game's final 10 minutes, that Krzyzewski decided Goldwire could be a key part of Duke's game plan.
Now here he is as a junior, set to be a significant part of things whether playing point guard or off the ball at a wing position.
"He's one of our better athletes," Krzyzewski said. "He's as good of an athlete as we have. He's hung in there and learned. Playing with the level of talent we have has helped him. He's continued to become a better player and understands his role."
