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A gutsy move by Duke associate/interim head coach Jeff Capel to shake up the starting lineup against NC State may have backfired. Three of Duke's top four leading scorers -- Grayson Allen, Luke Kennard and Amile Jefferson -- all sat on the bench to start the game as Capel ofted for defensive firepower over offense.

The move was also a carryover from his decision against Miami in the second half of Saturday's win over the Hurricanes. What worked then didn't work Monday night.

While Duke led for 31 minutes, NC State found a way to pull out an 84-82 win behind a stellar performance from freshman point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who scored 32 points and recorded six assists to lead the Wolfpack to its first win at Duke since Jan. 18, 1995.

Takeaways

1. Dennis Smith Jr. looked every bit the part of a possible future No. 1 pick

There's no way NC State would have had a shot at an upset over Duke had Smith been a nonfactor. In hindsight, that really goes without saying.

The freshman sensation brought his A-plus game -- and maybe his best overall game of the year -- showing why NBA scouts love him. He got it done in every facet. First, a look at his precision passing. He finished with a game-high six dimes, and check how he just threads the entire defense with a flick of his wrist.

Just effortless stuff from the freshman. Playing from behind -- on the road! -- and making those types of plays is nothing short of incredible.

His passing down the stretch was no doubt an integral part of the Wolfpack's success, but no weapon was more important than his ability to score at an efficient clip. On the season, Smith is shooting a tick over 35 percent from the 3-point line. Yet he finished 4-of-6 from behind the arc and 10-of-18 from the field. All this while getting pressured from Duke's best perimeter defender, Matt Jones, who he blows by here to get the bucket and the foul.

With the game in hand and the clock officially expired, he fittingly delivered the knockout blow (that went down after the buzzer, but was still impressive nonetheless). His 32-point performance was the second most by a visiting player at Cameron Indoor in 10 years.

2. This was a historic win NC State can build on

The way Duke has played shakily over the last month, it's easy to wonder if this should be considered an upset.

The answer, in a nutshell, is absolutely. NC State hasn't exactly been riding the gravy train, having dropped five of its last seven before Monday.

When NC State won at Duke in 1995, Mike Krzyzewski wasn't even on the sideline. You have to go all the way back to 1988 when NC State knocked off Duke in Cameron Indoor with Coach K on the sideline. So the two wins at Cameron Indoor for NC State in the last 29 years have come when Krzyzewski hasn't been on the bench.

While NC State has struggled in ACC play with a 3-5 record, but this win will help build an NCAA tournament resume. There will be ample opportunities to keep building on this win over a rugged ACC schedule. That continues Sunday with another tough road test against Louisville. Mark Gottfried has some serious momentum he can carry with him out of Durham.

3. Duke's lack of a true point guard was a big factor

Grayson Allen and Frank Jackson are, for now, capable of running the offense. But there's a difference between being capable and being qualified.

The truth is, both Allen and Jackson are more fit to play off the ball. They are good scorers but Duke would be best served with someone feeding them the rock. But the problem is, they don't really have that luxury.

Here's a play from early in the first half with Jackson, who attempts to bully his way to the bucket but instead gets his pocket picked.

Up six points with 25 seconds on the shot clock, the right move in that situation may be pulling it out and running the offense. Instead, it gave NC State a quick two on the other end.

NC State scored 14 points off 11 turnovers, some of which could have been avoided. It's hard to tell just how much different this team might look if Allen were able to slide over and play shooting guard, but it's fairly evident that this solution is a part-time experiment that for now is being met with mixed results on the floor.