No. 15 Duke will look to get back to its winning ways Monday at 8 p.m. against Elon at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils (9-2) enter the contest having lost their last game nearly a week ago against Utah in Madison Square Garden. Duke will look to extend its 123 game non-conference home win-streak against the better-than-expected Phoenix (9-3). Here are three keys to the contest:
Find a rhythm on offense
With a number of options on the perimeter, the Blue Devils will have little trouble scoring against an Elon team that gives up nearly 83 points per game. But a big key for Duke going forward this season will be restoring flow on offense and moving the ball effectively to get good shots. In their loss to the Utes, the Blue Devils assisted on only 10 of their 23 made field goals and shot below 30 percent from the floor.
To correct these mistakes, the team will need to stray away from isolation sets with freshman Brandon Ingram and sophomore Grayson Allen and look to find open shooters on the perimeter. With guard Matt Jones shooting 45 percent from beyond the arc and guard Luke Kennard coming off a career-high 24 point game a week ago, Duke will need to make sure the ball touches multiple hands on each possession down the floor. Perhaps another way to jumpstart the team's offense could be giving touches to senior Marshall Plumlee near the basket, where he has a sizable advantage against a smaller Elon squad.
Win the rebounding battle
Prior to his injury, senior Amile Jefferson averaged 10.3 rebounds per game and ranked as one of the top rebounders in the nation. With the forward sidelined for the foreseeable future, the Blue Devils will need to hold their own on the glass to continue to come away with victories. Against Utah, Duke was out-rebounded 56-38 and allowed 13 offensive rebounds that gave the Utes extra possessions on offense.
Ingram has made the biggest leap in Jefferson's absence and has averaged nine rebounds per game in the past three contests. But the team could certainly use a strong effort on the glass from Allen, Jones and Kennard—all of whom have the size to battle with big men for boards. If the team can clean up the glass and hold the Phoenix to just one shot, the Blue Devils should have no problem rolling to an easy win.
Defend the 3-point line
Elon has relied heavily on hot shooting from downtown during its fast start to the season. During the team's six game-winning streak entering Monday's contest, the Phoenix have averaged nearly 13 made triples a game. With leading scorer Tanner Samson shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc, the Blue Devils will need to clamp down on the perimeter and avoid letting the guard start strong and set the tone for his teammates.
Although Duke has heavily relied on zone defense this year to mask individual defensive deficiencies, head coach Mike Krzyzewski may need to employ more man-to-man sets to prevent the Phoenix from finding holes to attack the Blue Devils. The strategy could prove to be fruitful in the long run as Duke will need to be capable of playing both man and zone defense at a high level once ACC plays roll along.
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