The loss of senior captain Amile Jefferson has been a major concern for a young Duke squad. The Blue Devils comfortably survived their first test without Jefferson Tuesday against Georgia Southern, but his absence could have more significant repercussions Saturday in the Big Apple.
Without Jefferson available to help stifle Utah's best offensive weapon—sophomore center Jakob Poeltl and his 19.1 points per game—Saturday’s noon contest at Madison Square Garden could turn into a vengeance tour for a team that can still feel the sting of its 63-57 loss to the Blue Devils in last year’s Sweet 16. No. 7 Duke will have to deal with the 7-foot Austrian who has made a case as one the most dominant centers in college basketball—averaging 9.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game to go along with his 69.9 percent shooting from the field.
“They have one of the best big guys in the country in college basketball and they have a lot of their team back that we played last year in the Sweet 16,” Duke associate head coach Jeff Capel said during his radio show Monday. “We know they’re going to be hungry. They’re big, they’re physical, they’re really good—so it’s going to be a tough matchup for us.”
Jefferson opened the season with three straight double-doubles and has generated double-digit scoring in more than half his contests this year. But after sustaining a non-surgical fracture in his right foot during practice earlier this month, Jefferson will be watching from the sidelines as the Blue Devils (9-1) look elsewhere for help in containing Poeltl.
Duke did not falter in its first contest without its veteran leader, as freshman Brandon Ingram brought down a career-high 14 rebounds against Georgia Southern Tuesday. Freshman Luke Kennard, sophomore Grayson Allen and Junior Matt Jones combined for an additional 18 boards to keep the Blue Devils ahead on the glass by a 55-29 margin. Still, the Eagles found their way into the paint with relative ease against the Blue Devils, finishing in the paint with Jefferson's length not around to contest their shots.
Duke scored 99 points Tuesday, but Jefferson's absence on the offensive end was noticeable. Krzyzewski shifted Ingram to the power forward position and the freshman responded with a career-best 26 points. But the rest of the Blue Devil frontcourt did nothing to assuage concerns about its scoring ability. Freshman Chase Jeter played 17 minutes against Georgia Southern, but the 6-foot-10 center managed just two points and three rebounds. Duke stuck to its seven-man rotation for much of the contest, an indication that the Blue Devils cannot afford to get into foul trouble trying to guard Poeltl Saturday.
Poeltl scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the Utes' Sweet 16 loss to the Blue Devils last year, but did not get enough help from star guard Delon Wright, who shot 4-of-13 from the field. Wright moved on to the pro ranks, leaving Jordan Loveridge as the primary perimeter scoring option for Utah (8-2).
Loveridge scores 14.0 points per game, but did not make a shot from the field in the Utes' 67-50 loss at Wichita State Dec. 12. Utah righted the ship Wednesday with a lopsided win against Savannah State, but will still looking for a resume-building win—not to mention revenge—against the Blue Devils Saturday.
“They’re coming off of a loss against Wichita State where they didn’t play well,” Capel said. “That’s a very difficult place to play well at, and Wichita State is really good.”
In their loss to the Shockers, the Utes struggled with perimeter defense. Guards Brandon Taylor and Lorenzo Bonam—who have yet to score in double-digits on the road this season—will need to step up on the defensive end to contain Duke’s dynamic duo of Allen and Ingram, which has averaged a combined 43.0 points in the Blue Devils’ last three contests.
Utah will funnel its offense through Poeltl, meaning Krzyzewski will have to devise a scheme with Plumlee, Ingram and Jeter to minimize his contributions and force the Utes to beat Duke from the perimeter.
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