In Duke's first game without head coach Mike Krzyzewski—who will miss a few weeks after undergoing back surgery Friday—the Blue Devils will take on Boston College Saturday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke will look to build on its momentum from a lopsided 110-57 win against Georgia Tech Wednesday in which seven Blue Devils scored at least 10 points. The Blue Zone takes a look at a player from each team who could be the difference-maker in the game:
Duke: Forward Harry Giles
After a knee scope in early October that kept him out until Dec. 19, Giles has progressively grown into a larger role in the Blue Devil rotation. The freshman came off the bench in each of his first three games, but made his first career start Wednesday night against Georgia Tech and finally showed sustained energy. Giles logged 17 minutes and notched his first career double-double, finishing with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
More importantly, the Winston-Salem, N.C., native showed growth on the defensive end despite not registering a block. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski mentioned after the Blue Devils' loss at Virginia Tech last weekend that Giles had not participated in defensive drills during his rehab process, and it clearly showed—until Wednesday night. The 6-foot-10 forward was engaged and handled the Yellow Jacket pick-and-roll better than he had in his previous games.
Against the Eagles, it would not be surprising to see Giles find himself in the starting lineup once again. He appeared to benefit from a confidence boost, as the former No. 1 recruit is still finding his footing at the collegiate level and working back into game shape. Facing a Boston College team that utilizes a rotation of young big men, Giles should have the opportunity to build on his best performance of the season and continue to round into form.
Boston College: Guard Ky Bowman
A freshman like Giles, Bowman was the Eagles' top recruit this offseason and has made his mark, starting 12 of 15 games. The Havelock, N.C., native is scoring nearly 12 points a night and is averaging 2.5 assists per game as well. But Boston College averages more than 15 turnovers per game and Bowman is certainly at fault—the 6-foot-1 guard has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.0, slowing an already-challenged Eagle offense.
But the first-year player was a multi-sport athlete in high school—he initially committed to North Carolina as a wide receiver in 2014—and will have the speed and talent to challenge a Duke defense that has been vulnerable in transition. Bowman is shooting almost 50 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc and has the potential to put up big numbers against the Blue Devils. If he can find his stroke Saturday, Bowman could allow Boston College to hang around at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
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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."