Key three: Duke men's basketball vs. William & Mary

Still limited by injuries to multiple five-star recruits, No. 6 Duke will take on William & Mary Wednesday and Appalachian State Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium during Thanksgiving break. Here are three keys to success for the Blue Devils:

Get Grayson Allen going early

Despite leading an injury-riddled Duke team to the Sweet 16 last year and entering the season as one of the National Player of the Year favorites, Allen has stumbled out of the gates. The junior guard is shooting a mere 34.4 percent from the field and an even worse 22.9 percent from beyond the arc. Allen's 4-for-15 performance from the field against Kansas was particularly costly in the Blue Devils' 77-75 loss. If he is able to get his jumper going early and open up lanes to the basket later on, this team will begin to dominate early-season play. With no timetable set for the return of Duke's star freshmen, Allen will need to get back to his usual self and help carry the team for now.

Crash the boards

One of the biggest storylines for the Blue Devils thus far has been the injury bug. Right now, forwards Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles and Sean Obi and center Marques Bolden are all sidelined. Throw in the fact that Amile Jefferson missed most of last season with a foot injury and Chase Jeter had to leave a game last weekend after rolling his ankle, and Duke’s frontcourt that was expected to be talented and deep looks as feeble as ever. The Blue Devils are outrebounding opponents by nearly five per game, but that number should really be higher considering some of the lower-level teams they have faced so far. Duke needs to focus on securing all the loose balls it can to make up for its misfortune early on.

Take care of the rock

William & Mary plays with very active hands and forces its opponents to turn the ball over, averaging 9.7 steals per game. Although the Blue Devils have done a good job with ball security so far, it will be essential for head coach Mike Krzyzewski's squad to keep the Tribe from turning defense into offense, especially with freshman guard Frank Jackson likely to be handling the ball for a good portion of the game. If Duke is able to take care of the ball and execute its offense normally, it shouldn’t be fazed by William & Mary or Appalachian State later in the week, even if it is shorthanded.