The Bulls will finally make the trip to the Bull City, but there will be no Bobby Hurley at the helm. The former Duke standout guard won national championships as a Blue Devil in 1991 and 1992 and led Buffalo to its first NCAA tournament berth last season as the Bulls' head coach before moving west to take the reins at Arizona State.
Led by Matt Jones and Grayson Allen, Duke's active championship-winning guards will look to guide the No. 7 Blue Devils past Buffalo Saturday at 5:15 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium, going for their NCAA-best 121st consecutive nonconference home win. Buffalo first-year head coach Nate Oats will hope to slow freshman swingman Brandon Ingram, who is quickly becoming a vital part of the team’s offense.
Just two weeks ago, Ingram and freshman guard Luke Kennard could not seem to find a shooting rhythm in the 2K Classic at Madison Square Garden. The duo combined to go 6-of-23 from the floor, but consecutive career-high performances from Grayson Allen and steady production from veterans Matt Jones and Amile Jefferson compensated for the rookies' struggles.
“We need more help,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said after the second game in the tournament, a win against Georgetown Nov. 22. “Matt Jones is trying to do everything for us, and he gets worn out…. A lot is on our veterans while we’re getting the young guys to go.”
But much has changed during the ensuing fortnight.
Ingram is averaging 15.7 and 5.7 rebounds per game in the past three contests. He led the team with 24 points in a breakout game against Indiana Wednesday night, and seems to have solidified himself back in the starting lineup for the time being after coming off the bench against Georgetown and Yale.
“This was a big-time game [for Ingram],” senior forward Amile Jefferson said after Wednesday's 94-74 win against the Hoosiers. “He took an amazing jump of just being, more than comfortable, being aggressive—knowing that he’s a player. Not shying away but stepping into the light.”
Kennard—who struggled to find his groove shooting early on in the year—has averaged 13.7 points per game during the same three-game span. His best game came Nov. 29 against Utah State, when he shot 4-of-5 from deep, tallied 22 points and helped keep Duke (7-1) two steps ahead of the Aggies.
And best of all for Duke, their strong performances have helped create open looks for Jones. The DeSoto, Texas, native shot 5-of-11 from downtown against the Hoosiers as a part of his career high 23-point output, and has now compiled double-digit scoring performances in all but one game this season.
The Blue Devils’ opponents are also familiar with the importance of 3-point shooting. Buffalo (4-3) takes an average of 20 3-pointers per game, but that reliance on the long ball cost the Bulls Tuesday against St. Bonaventure. Buffalo shot just 1-of-13 from beyond the arc—as well as just 19-of-32 from the charity stripe—and lost the game 70-68 on a game-winning shot with 10 seconds left.
The Bulls, like the Blue Devils, lost their top three scorers from last season, including 2015 MAC Player of the Year Justin Moss. The forward led the team with 17.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game but leaves a major hole in the team’s interior after the school dismissed him in August.
The Blue Devils come into the game with 41.2 rebounds per game, thanks in large part to the grit and hustle of Jefferson. The Philadelphia native nearly posted a triple-double against the Hoosiers, finishing with eight points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Six of those 11 boards came by crashing the offensive glass to help Duke net 26 second-chance points.
"He’s averaging a double-double, he’s one of the top offensive rebounders in the country and we don’t set anything up for him,” Krzyzewski said Wednesday.
Duke will look to shut down the young Buffalo interior. Senior Rodell Wigginton is the leader in the frontcourt at 6-foot-5 with 12.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. But the other three forwards who have played this year are averaging just a combined 11.3 points per game.
On the perimeter, Allen or Jones will be called on to contain explosive sophomore guard Lamonte Bearden, who was the highest-scoring returner on the team from last year and leads his team in points per game, assists, free-throw attempts and steals.
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