Key three: Duke men's basketball vs. Miami

After dropping two straight on the road to tough ACC competitors in Florida State and Louisville, the No. 18 Blue Devils hope to bounce back Saturday when they take on Miami at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Here are three keys to success for Duke.

Interior Defense

Without Amile Jefferson, Duke has shown its vulnerability to teams that have size on the inside, as freshman Harry Giles has had some difficulty adjusting to the level of play he has faced in the ACC. After going 3-for-5 from the field, grabbing six boards and blocking two shots against Louisville, Giles will be matched up with another freshman who has had some difficulty adjusting in Dewan Huell. The 6-foot-11 forward is averaging just 6.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, so the matchup looks favorable for Duke’s top recruit. But if Blue Devil interim head coach Jeff Capel decides to come out with the same small starting lineup he used against Louisville, Giles’ play will be crucial to Duke’s chances of winning.

Knock shots down from the outside

Although they have given up 166 points during their last two games, the Blue Devils’ scoring has met some of its high expectations in those contests. It has also been balanced, with Jayson Tatum and Luke Kennard each scoring more than 20 points at Florida State and then Grayson Allen doing so at Louisville. The trio scored 104 of Duke’s 141 points during that span, accounting for an extremely high percentage of Duke's offense. Four different players hit 3-pointers against Louisville, so the Blue Devils will have a variety of weapons they would like to use from beyond the arc to stretch the Hurricanes' athletic backcourt defensively.

Pass the Ball

Duke has struggled to move the ball around recently, only recording 18 total assists in its last two games and allowing its two opponents to total 31 dimes. With the arsenal of options the Blue Devils have on offense, they would benefit from sharing the ball to find the hot hand. Allen has led the team in assists thus far with 4.3 per game, but no one else is averaging more than 2.5. Although Duke is the fourth-worst in the ACC with 13.8 assists per game, Miami is dead last with 12.2, so ball movement will likely be a struggle for the Hurricanes as well.