Coming off of a nine-day holiday break, the Blue Devils return to action in Cameron Indoor Stadium against Elon. Duke seeks to bounce back from a heartbreaking overtime loss to Utah a little more than a week ago that snapped a seven game-winning streak. Before each game, the Chronicle takes a look at one player from each team who could be the difference in Duke's upcoming contest:
Duke: forward Chase Jeter
With senior Amile Jefferson out indefinitely with a right foot injury, this game could be a stepping stone for the freshman. The Phoenix lack a true center and their leading rebounder—6-foot-8 forward Christian Hairston—stands three inches shorter than Jeter. If the freshman can use his superior size and athleticism to make plays on the glass and in the paint, losing Jefferson could be just a little easier to deal with moving forward.
Jeter has played sparingly this year, averaging 2.3 points per game and 2.2 rebounds per game but expect those numbers to rise over the next month. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski will look to the Las Vegas native for solid interior defense and rebounding when center Marshall Plumlee is resting on the bench. Although the Blue Devils won the national championship with a short rotation last year, they are lacking serious depth in the frontcourt this time around. Jeter will have to play at a higher level than he has shown so far to become a reliable member of the short seven-man rotation Krzyzewski has trot out without his captain.
Elon: guard Tanner Samson
The Phoenix are led by senior Tanner Samson—who leads the team offensively with 15.8 points per game on a blistering 43 percent from beyond the arc. Samson has led Elon to a surprising 9-3 start, including a six-game win streak, as they enter conference play after tomorrow’s game against Duke.
In Samson's second year as a full-time starter, he has done well replacing last year’s offensive leader Elijah Bryant. The guard does most of his damage from behind the arc—where he has hit multiple triples in 10 of 12 games this season—with a career-high eight threes Nov. 30 against Kennesaw State.
The Blue Devils will look to keep length on the senior along the perimeter to limit Samson's ability to get clean looks from deep. Since only 11 of Samson's 52 field goals this year have come inside the 3-point line, Duke may benefit from playing tight man-to-man defense rather than risk leaving open areas in a zone. If Samson gets in a rhythm early, he could be dangerous in a game Duke is heavily favored to win.
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