After trampling over their first two opponents Monday and Tuesday, the Blue Devils seem ready to head to the Duke-friendly confines of Madison Square Garden to play in the 2K Sports Classic semifinals next Thursday.
But before they packs their bags, the team has one more game to play.
Sandwiched right in the middle of the tournament, the No. 8 Duke (2-0) takes on Rhode Island Sunday at 4:30 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
"We know they're a good team," sophomore Nolan Smith said. "Everybody's excited that we're going to New York to play in the semifinals, but we have to think about Rhode Island now."
After playing two games in two days, Duke would have had more than a week off to rest and prepare for its Thursday game against Southern Illinois and a potential matchup with UCLA in the finals Friday. Instead, the Blue Devils will get another opportunity to work out their kinks and lineups against the Rams (0-0).
Duke tried out several player combinations in its first two contests against Presbyterian and Georgia Southern, with nine players seeing double-digit minutes in both games. With such a long bench, the Blue Devils could be able to avoid the exhaustion that took its toll on the team last year.
"A good thing about our team is that we have good depth," sophomore Kyle Singler said. "You can start multiple lineups for us. If it's [Brian] Zoubek, Miles [Plumlee] or Lance [Thomas], I feel very comfortable with any of them out on the court. If you feel comfortable with who you're playing with, it's definitely a benefit."
Rhode Island may bring a bigger challenge than Duke has faced thus far this season. The Rams finished last year with a 21-12 record, including a win over Syracuse. Rhode Island possesses one of the biggest 3-point threats in the nation in senior guard Jimmy Barron, who shot 40.6 percent from behind the arc last year.
Duke will also have a chance to test itself against a taller big man down low, as the Rams' frontcourt features 7-foot sophomore Will Martell.
More production in the paint will be key for Duke to excel, especially given Duke's vulnerability to strong frontcourts at times last year. Zoubek and Plumlee have yet to have strong showings this year, with neither able to establish a main role in the offense, but that could change Sunday.
One player, however, has been undeniably reliable offensively for Duke. Singler, the MVP of the 2K Sports Classic subregional, scored 19 points in the two tournament games, leading the team in both.
On Tuesday, the Blue Devils were able to rebound from an unsatisfying start against Presbyterian. Now, the team hopes it can carry that play through not only to Rhode Island or the Big Apple, but for the rest of the season.
"It's a good start for us. This is where we saw ourselves," Singler said. "Rhode Island is a good team, we're not looking past them. But we're looking forward to continuing in the tournament and going to New York. The season is kicking off and we're ready to give it our heart."
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