Coming off its second loss in three games, Duke returns home to Cameron Indoor Stadium to take on the Miami Hurricanes Saturday. The Blue Zone Breaks down three keys to the game for the recently floundering Blue Devils:
Consistent defensive play
Miami comes into Durham Saturday boasting five starters that are all averaging more than 10 points per game. This offensive consistency throughout the lineup is what Duke will have to limit if they hope to put on a strong showing for the home crowd.
And the Hurricanes can score in many different ways too, with scorers ranging from the diminutive 5-foot-7 Chris Lykes, to the 6-foot-10, 235-pound Ebuka Izundu. Lykes, Miami’s top scorer, will likely look to push the pace in transition to get to the rim, or step back for a shot from downtown. He is hitting from deep at a 33.1 percent clip this season, and will join fellow guard Dejan Vasiljevic—who shoots 38.3 percent from outside—to provide most of the scoring from beyond the arc.
On the other hand, Izundu is far more effective in the half-court set, specifically inside. He has only taken three treys the entire campaign, and prefers to bully his way to the hole from the post.
At the end of the day, Duke can and will come up with a big victory at home if they can manage to limit a variety of offensive types from the Hurricanes. They will have to get back in transition, and if Zion Williamson is out, Javin DeLaurier will likely need to take the primary role in guarding the dangerous Izundu.
Preparing for a Zion-less afternoon
We can talk about Zion Williamson and his potential Saturday return all day, but the Blue Devils will need to ensure that they are prepared for the contest if a game time decision finds Williamson on the sideline in yet another snappy Polo.
Of course they would like to believe that he will be on the floor, having been day-to-day since his grade-1 knee sprain against North Carolina on Feb. 20. But the Blue Devils must go into the game with the mindset that he will not be back on the court, or they could be caught off-guard in a similar fashion to the game against their Tobacco Road Rivals.
Javin DeLaurier and Marques Bolden must be prepared to guard the big men. R.J. Barrett must be prepared to be a distributor with the defense locked in on stopping him. Alex O’Connell must be prepared to play significant minutes, and carry the efficiency that he has shown in his last two outings with him on Saturday.
If the Blue Devils are not ready to do all of these things, this seems like a prime trap game, with the North Carolina rematch not too far off, but still two contests removed. But if Duke goes into the game anticipating Zion Williamson’s third game in a row on the bench, they should have little trouble against a Hurricanes team that recently lost to Wake Forest, a team the Blue Devils took care of with consummate ease.
And if Williamson is back, it has the potential to be quite the game for Duke.
Fast Start
The Blue Devils need to hit the ground running on Saturday, which is a good idea in any game, but this one will be specifically important, for an even bigger reason than early momentum for the players.
This time, it might be more important for the fans.
Recently, Duke fans have had very little to go Crazie for. The team has dropped two out of its last three, and while I’ll spare you from yet another Sneaker-gate rehash, for the Blue Devil faithful out there, a fast start is paramount on Saturday afternoon.
Playing at home, the fans packing Cameron Indoor will be a big factor, as they always are. And they need something to cheer for if they are going to be as concrete of an impact on the opponent as they usually tend to be.
So whether it is a Javin DeLaurier dunk, a fancy move for two from R.J. Barrett, or a head-bobbing, arm-swinging three point celebration from Alex O’Connell, Duke will need to bring the energy early to give the Crazies a cushion to rest their tired feet on, and a reason to give the Miami Hurricanes hell for the entire forty minutes.
And if they do, the Crazies will respond. If there is one sure thing in basketball, and life, it is that when Duke plays well, their opponents are playing against two teams: the one on the court, and the one standing next to it.
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