Days after its rout of Jacksonville 71-44, Duke welcomes USC Upstate to Durham Friday night. The Blue Zone takes a look at a Blue Devil and a Spartan to watch in the matchup:
Duke: Jeremy Roach
One can argue that as the captain and point guard of a young team, Jeremy Roach is always an x-factor—Duke goes as he goes, and if the junior has an off night, the Blue Devils could find themselves in trouble. Following a magical tournament run where Roach looked like a completely new player, hopes for the Leesburg, Va., native were elevated entering this season. Though Roach lived up to these expectations in the season opener—he posted 16 points, six rebounds and four assists in Duke’s 71-44 victory against Jacksonville—he will look to show two qualities against USC Upstate and beyond: consistency and maturity.
While Roach showed flashes of excellence last year, he has yet to have an extended run of consistently superb play. Performances like a 19-point outing against Syracuse and, of course, those in the national tournament are what raised the standards for Roach, but now it is time for that level of play to just be who he is rather than what he could be. This starts by putting together a second-straight solid outing Friday night against the Spartans.
Pertaining to maturity, Roach must continue to show growth as he enters his third collegiate season. In the domination of the Dolphins, the captain picked up his third foul with 11:13 remaining in the game and his fourth under two minutes later. While head coach Jon Scheyer was able to trust his experienced ball-handler and leave him in the game to seal the win, Roach must avoid foul trouble going forward. He will be matched up against a talented USC Upstate backcourt, so it will be critical for him to step up and lead the defensive effort for the Blue Devils.
USC Upstate: Jordan Gainey
While Duke dispatched the Dolphins on Monday night, USC Upstate was doing the same as it destroyed Division III foe Brevard College 90-42. The season-opening win for the Spartans came by way of a balanced scoring attack as five players hit double figures. This steady offense, however, was facilitated by guard and reigning Big South Freshman of the Year Jordan Gainey.
The 6-foot-4 sophomore will be crucial for USC Upstate Friday night for multiple reasons. His first role is that of a playmaker. This year, according to head coach Dave Dickerson, Gainey will be playing “more on the ball instead of off the ball.” The Spartans will need to move the ball effectively to evade the Blue Devils’ suffocating defensive pressure, and this starts with Gainey.
The second and most prominent role Gainey will fill, and the one he is most comfortable in, is that of a knockdown three-point shooter. The Tuscon, Ariz., native is a bonafide marksman. He shot an incredible 49.3% from beyond the arc last season and shows no signs of slowing down as he made three of his four attempts from deep in the opener. With the Blue Devils’ significant size advantage in the paint, the Spartans will likely resort to outside shots. If Gainey is sinking his treys, it could be a long night for Duke.
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