After going 2-1 on a three-game road swing, the Blue Devils return home Saturday to take on N.C. State. Duke defeated the Wolfpack 88-78 two weeks ago and will look to replicate its success on the offensive end to come away with the win. Here are three keys to the game:
Win the rebounding battle
Three players in the N.C. State starting five—Anthony ‘Cat’ Barber and Cody and Caleb Martin—are capable of creating instant offense. The best way to limit the N.C. State's offensive firepower is to limit second-chance points by cleaning up the defensive glass. Duke will need center Marshall Plumlee and forward Brandon Ingram to step into the paint and dial up their efforts to come away with rebounds. With Amile Jefferson still leading the team in rebounds per game despite a lengthy absence, the rest of the frontcourt must help shoulder the load against the girth of BeeJay Anya and Abdul-Malik Abu in the paint.
Strong defense
A major defensive deficiency for the Blue Devils this season has been their interior defense, where opponents are prone to finding easy backdoor cuts to the basket and open looks at the rim. After switching to man defense for the final 20 minutes against Georgia Tech, Duke will need to find the right defense to contain the Wolfpack.
Considering N.C. State's struggles to hit perimeter shots in the first meeting between the teams, look for the Blue Devils to play zone for at least a portion of the contest—forcing the Wolfpack out to the perimeter to try and break the defense with 3-point shots. With Barber's explosiveness making him nearly impossible to guard man-to-man, Duke will need to force the ball out of the junior's hands and force others to make them pay.
Limit turnovers
The Blue Devil backcourt has largely held up on its promising potential throughout the season, but the team holds a subpar assist to turnover ratio this season considering Duke's offensive efficiency. The benefit of having an experienced floor general is one the Blue Devils do not have and freshman guards Derryck Thornton and Luke Kennard still have strides to make to be reliable ball-handlers for the team in the half-court setting.
Although Duke has succeeded slowing down the offense and getting into sets, the Blue Devils may look for fast-break opportunities if they present themselves. The key for the team will be to keep from making unnecessary mistakes on the break and prevent putting the ball back into N.C. State’s hands.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.