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How Justise Winslow's fast rise helped lead Duke to NCAA tournament's Elite Eight

HOUSTON – For a while now, Justise Winslow hasn't needed a lot of time to work. That's something coach Mike Krzyzewski likes to say about him. With some freshmen, you throw them a basketball and wind an egg timer. Winslow? Coach K's instruction – if needed – should be locked and loaded in advance.

And even then, Winslow has punched the time clock before the first syllable hit his ears.

This is how Winslow has risen – how he went from being oddly overshadowed by the freshman tandem of Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones, despite also being one of the best prep basketball players in the country. This is how his game has become more complete, more well-rounded – and more likely to deliver what Duke got in Friday's 63-57 victory over Utah.

A freshman who can carry the load when Okafor or Jones can't, and deliver an Elite Eight berth. A combo guard-forward who can defend and hit some threes, and get in the ear of the opposing team's best player. Winslow did all of it: scoring, muscling, talking and carrying. Finishing with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, 10 rebounds, a trio of 3-pointers and two blocked shots. And on the other end of the floor, he helped to put straps on 6-foot-5 Utes shooting guard Delon Wright – who finished shooting 4 for 13 and never materialized as the size mismatch that could hurt the Blue Devils' backcourt.

"He's a high-powered guy," Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak said of Winslow. "…I thought him coming back to Houston a day after his birthday only juiced him up and [had him] ready to go. We didn't have an answer."

Justise Winslow had 21 points and 10 rebounds against Utah. (USA Today)
Justise Winslow had 21 points and 10 rebounds against Utah. (USA Today)

That's become a common theme for the birthday boy, who is a prep product of the city of Houston and the son of Rickie Winslow, a charter member of the University of Houston's Phi Slama Jama. That royalty and the acclaim of Justise Winslow's own prep career clearly hadn't worn off. The crowd roared during his introduction, and when he was asked how many people he knew in the stadium Friday night, even Krzyzewski turned with a smile and said, "I'm interested in this."

But what has intrigued Coach K even more has been what happened before Winslow turned 19 on Thursday. Specifically, the year that preceded it – and took Winslow from being a slasher and creator with an NBA game to someone who could lob daggers from the perimeter, too. Make no mistake, that's what delivered Krzyzewski his 13th Elite Eight appearance. With the more-hyped Okafor delivering only six points and Jones shooting 3 for 9 from the field, it was Winslow who repeatedly turned the tide in the first 30 minutes of the game.

None more important than with a little more than four minutes left and Utah pulling to within 49-43, and the crowd frenzy starting to tip into the Utes' favor. Seconds later, Winslow caught the ball at the top of the key, and before Krzyzewski could bark a word from his stool, exploded down the lane and hung for a basket and foul. One made free throw later and Duke had breathing room that would last until the final 90 seconds. Jones stepped up with key free throws down the stretch, but there was no denying it was Winslow who held the Blue Devils together in the treacherous middle of a grinding game.

Those moments, along with some key defensive stops (not including one when he failed badly to get back on defense), raised eyebrows. Particularly the 3-for-4 3-point shooting – an arc of improvement that could make Winslow a coveted NBA draft pick. Something that Winslow toiled over endlessly since the summer, including a stretch when Krzyzewski was with Team USA and not in the gym at all hours.

"I worked very hard on it," Winslow said. "It's something that wasn't there early on in my basketball career. Coach tells me throughout the season, 'Stay aggressive. Try to get to the basket.' If they're sagging off, shoot my bullets."

"I've seen Justise improve throughout," Krzyzewski said. "I saw him improve while he was here [in Houston] at St. John's [high school], you know. He was well-coached here. Well-coached for the U.S. [junior] teams. These guys [Winslow and Jones] want to be in the gym. You don't have to twist their arm."

Now Winslow moves on with Duke, arguably no longer a freshman, but still every bit of his 19 years. To play a more experienced, much older Gonzaga unit. But Winslow will be waiting for the ball, half a tick into his first step when it lands in his hands. The one thing everyone on the team can attest to, he hasn't stopped developing since he arrived. But he's also more interested in the road through Sunday than the one that got him here.

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