NEW YORK -- They walked in together, dressed like a boy band taking the stage. Identical dark suits, black skinny ties, even matching down to their brown dress shoes.

Only problem -- Harry Giles, Marques Bolden and Jayson Tatum looked snazzy from the bench. Three of Duke's best players remain well-dressed spectators, Giles recovering from an arthroscopic procedure on his knee, Bolden out because of a lower leg injury and Tatum sidelined by a foot problem.

Meantime, the Blue Devils other best player, Grayson Allen, was about as awful as he has been in the entirety of his Duke career. The preseason player of the year candidate shot just 4-of-15 from the field, his troubles starting long before he left the first half prematurely after dinging his knee.

Kansas guard Frank Mason III (0) scored the winning basket against No. 1 Duke with just 1.8 seconds left. AP Photo/Julie Jacobson

And so to panic that Duke, the No. 1 team in the nation, lost to Kansas 77-75 would be equal parts foolish and premature.

Because this isn't Duke. These Blue Devils are like the seat-fillers at the Oscars, making sure there are bodies on the floor until the stars return.

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And truth be told, the replacements weren't exactly terrible. Despite Allen's shooting woes, despite a heavy whistle from the officials on both sides, the undermanned Devils rallied late against Kansas, turning what looked to be a Jayhawks walkover into an uncomfortable finish for a Kansas team in need of a little morale boost after being stunned by Indiana last week.

The Devils got all the way back to tie the score when Frank Jackson, the one freshman who isn't injured, drained a 3-pointer with 15.5 seconds left. His heroics were outdone by Frank Mason III's, who hit the winner for Kansas, but the playing time and the experience from games like these for players such as Jackson, Luke Kennard and Chase Jeter, players whose time might decrease when the other players return, will eventually prove invaluable to Mike Krzyzewski.

Presuming the Boyz II Men crew is someday as healthy as they are sartorially splendored, the Blue Devils will be just fine.