Fresh off a win against N.C. State Saturday, Duke (17-6, 6-4 in the ACC) welcomes conference leader Louisville to Cameron Indoor Stadium for its first visit since joining the ACC. The Cardinals may have just shortened their season with a self-imposed postseason ban, but it did not deter them from cruising to a 79-47 defeat a day later against Boston College. Here are the keys to the game:
Clean the glass
Louisville ranks third in conference with its 40.6 rebounds per game—a little more than two-and-a-half better than Duke, on average. The Blue Devils were outrebounded 38-29 in their win against the Wolfpack and gave up 13 offensive rebound to their opponent, a mistake that could prove fatal Monday night. Duke’s Marshall Plumlee—averaging 8.3 boards per game—will have his hands full against big man Chinanu Onuako, who edges out Plumlee averaging 8.8 rebounds per contest and is a physical presence down low.
If the Blue Devils can avoid handing their opponent second-chance points on offense, they will have a better chance closing in on Louisville’s 9.9 average rebounding margin in games this season. The Cardinals’ 48.3 percent shooting from the field puts them at third in the conference, meaning Duke will need to limit any chances at scoring as often as it can.
Contain the Cardinals penetration
The Louisville offense will pose a significant threat with its talented backcourt duo of Trey Lewis and Quentin Snider. The two combine for an average of 21.9 points and six assists per game, and both guards shoot 40 percent or better from the floor.
Graduate transfer Damion Lee is the team's leading scorer and is expected to start after missing Saturday’s game against the Eagles with an injury. Lee scored 24 points in Louisville’s upset win against then-No. 2 North Carolina on 8-of-12 shooting including four triples. The Blue Devils need to prevent penetration by the Cardinals’ three speedy ball-handlers if they want to have a chance of pulling off an upset of their own.
Score (a lot) on offense
With Duke fifth in the nation with its 84.8 points-per-game average and Louisville fourth nationally with just 59.8 points allowed per game, Monday's matchup will come down to which teams strength shines through.
The Blue Devils need to limit turnovers and convert possessions efficiently for the conference’s strongest offense to overtake its strongest defense. Sophomore Grayson Allen and freshman Luke Kennard combined for 54 points in Saturday’s win, but Duke needs production from more than just two members of its lineup.
Sophomore Matt Jones was held to just 10 points combined across the team’s last two games, and freshman Derryck Thornton added just seven against the Wolfpack after putting up 15 against Georgia Tech. The Blue Devils have come up short of 80 points in three of their last four losses and will need to continue getting production from their backcourt as they did Saturday to defeat the Cardinals.
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