In search of their eighth consecutive win, the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils head north to take on a struggling Virginia Tech team. Tip-off is at 9:00 pm at Cassell Coliseum. Here are three keys to tonight’s game:
Continue to score in transition
Saturday against Clemson, Duke’s half court offense was not nearly as effective as it had been in weeks prior. But despite not having Jahlil Okafor to dominate in the post and perimeter players missing ten of their first 11 3-point attempts, the Blue Devils went on a number of offensive runs thanks to their exceptional transition offense. Led by Quinn Cook, the Blue Devils scored 19 fast break points and were able to score in bunches. In order to beat Virginia Tech on the road, Duke must continue to get ahead of the defense immediately after securing rebounds by filling the lanes and finishing drives. Not only will strong transition play lead to easy buckets, but it will quiet the crowd in a notoriously hostile environment, especially with Okafor's status still uncertain.
Don’t let Virginia Tech set up its half court offense
In a similar vein, Duke must make sure it sets the pace of play. Virginia Tech’s only offensive success this season has come when it has been able to set up its half court offense, move the ball until the end of the shot clock, and find open 3-pointers. The Hokies rank third in the conference in three point shooting at 38.5 percent, with its top two scorers, Adam Smith and Justin Bibbs, both shooting better than 43 percent from behind the arc.
Against Clemson, Duke showed a variety of defenses. The Blue Devils forced 14 turnovers, sometimes playing a soft three-quarter court press, sometimes trapping opposing guards when they crossed half court, and often playing a 3-2 or 2-3 zone. Although the Blue Devils should see if they can rely on their man-to-man defense to stay with shooters, they also have the ability to throw different looks at Virginia Tech to disrupt their offensive rhythm and to force turnovers, which again will be key if Okafor is limited.
Get quality bench minutes
Although they are not to be taken lightly—especially at home—the Hokies have won just two conference games and finds themselves last in the conference in many statistical categories, including rebounding and free throw percentage. The contest should serve as an ideal opportunity to give meaningful road minutes to Grayson Allen and Marshall Plumlee and to rest some of the starters. Both have seen their playing time increase as a result of Rasheed Sulaimon’s dismissal and Okafor’s ankle injury and have filled their roles very nicely. The two fan favorites must continue to perform at a high level as contributions from the bench become more and more crucial as postseason play approaches, especially with the big minutes star guards Tyus Jones and Cook have been playing lately.
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