No. 15 Duke opens ACC play with its first true-road game of the season Saturday against Boston College at 4:30 p.m. The Blue Devils have a 27-8 record all-time in conference openers under head coach Mike Krzyzewski and will look to add to that total against an Eagles squad that has struggled against ranked-opponents. Here are three keys to the game:
Catch fire from the perimeter
Anyone who knows Duke basketball is more than aware that the 3-point shot is the team's strong suit. With a loaded arsenal of weapons capable of hitting from downtown, the Blue Devils are primed to attack their opposition with a barrage of baskets from long range. The backcourt trio of Matt Jones, Grayson Allen and Derryck Thornton are all shooting better than 40 percent on their 3-point attempts this season and Luke Kennard has been hot as of late—the freshman has nailed 7-of-17 3-pointers in Duke’s last three games.
That being said, the Blue Devils have struggled to knock down the long ball against top opposition. In a loss to Kentucky on Nov. 17, they shot 39 percent from downtown on just 13 attempts. Those struggles pale in comparison to Dec. 19 when Duke fell to Utah, putting up 28 3-point attempts, but making just eight for a dreadful 29 percent. In ACC play, if the Blue Devils struggle to hit perimeter shots for even a half, they could be in trouble against stiffer competition.
Contain the top threat
Despite Duke’s defensive struggles at times this season, Krzyzewski has a dynamic duo in Jones and Allen. Both the junior and sophomore have proven themselves to be capable individual defenders and are key to limiting the scoring threat from opposing guards. Against two of the better guards they have faced this season, the duo held Georgetown’s D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera to only 14 points in 34 minutes and held Long Beach State's Nick Faust to just 10 points in 30 minutes Wednesday.
By no means is Boston College a dangerous offensive team—they have just two players averaging double-digit points and are scoring just 67.5 points per game as a team. But, guard Eli Carter will be dangerous out of the Eagles’ backcourt. Coming off a 28-point performance against New Hampshire, the 6-foot-2 graduate student showed his ability to make key baskets when needed in overtime for his team. After transferring from Florida, Carter has made an immediate impact, leading Boston College with averages of 17.2 points and 4.5 assists per game. Expect him to be the primary offensive cog against the Blue Devils Saturday.
Get solid “footing” on the road
Back in the 2012-13 season, Duke faced a nearly identical scenario during its early portion of ACC play. Senior forward Ryan Kelly was sidelined with a foot injury and it was up to then-freshman Amile Jefferson to fill the void. Now, with Jefferson’s foot injury sidelining him for the foreseeable future, the need to make up for the captain’s absence is crucial. When Kelly went down, the Blue Devils proceeded to lose two of their next three games and three of their first six road contests in ACC play.
With three of their first four conference matchups on the road, Duke needs to solidify itself away from Cameron Indoor Stadium to build some momentum as their schedule toughens. Although they are perfect at home, the Blue Devils are only 2-2 in neutral site games and Saturday will be their first true road test of the 2015-16 campaign. Whether it is Kennard, freshman Chase Jeter or someone else who steps up until Jefferson returns, Duke needs to put its best foot forward and show the ACC that they are dangerous wherever they play.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
Twitter: @mpgladstone13
A junior from just outside Philadelphia, Mitchell is probably reminding you how the Eagles won the Super Bowl this year and that the Phillies are definitely on the rebound. Outside of The Chronicle, he majors in Economics, minors in Statistics and is working toward the PJMS certificate, in addition to playing trombone in the Duke University Marching Band. And if you're getting him a sandwich with beef and cheese outside the state of Pennsylvania, you best not call it a "Philly cheesesteak."