Duke men's basketball is heading to Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech, and the Blue Zone has three keys for the Blue Devils to alleviate their recent road woes:
Doing it without Dariq
Head coach Jon Scheyer announced Thursday that freshman forward Dariq Whitehead will not play on Saturday against Georgia Tech. Whitehead injured his lower leg at the start of the second half against Virginia Tech. The team missed his presence as it lost a close one 78-75 on the road. The starting forward from Newark, N.J., scored 10 points in the first half, making both of his attempted threes. His strong scoring might have made the difference in the nail-biting loss. Over the past several games, The 6-foot-7 forward has performed strongly this season and become a reliable contributor for the team. His double-digit performance against the Hokies was his sixth in his last eight games. Look for other players to contribute in his absence against Georgia Tech.
Look out for the defense
The Blue Devils should be prepared for a tough Georgia Tech defense. The Yellow Jackets rank first in the ACC in three-point defense, narrowly beating out Duke for that title. While the Blue Devils should always be careful attempting too many threes, they should be especially cautious against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets can swarm the perimeter, forcing Duke to move the ball into the paint. However, this benefits the Blue Devils as they have a strong size advantage. If Georgia Tech continues its tight defense on the perimeter, Duke should be prepared to change strategy.
In a press conference on Thursday, Scheyer expressed that he wants Duke to take care of the ball and “focus on being aggressive, not getting stood up by whatever defense [Georgia Tech is] playing.” The Blue Devils can counter the Yellow Jackets' tough defense by continuing to share the ball and increase off-ball movement.
Force tough shots
On the defensive side, Duke should work to beat Georgia Tech at its own game. The Yellow Jackets have not shot the ball particularly well recently, making under 40% from the floor over their last four games. The Blue Devils should prioritize starting their offense on the defensive end. By forcing tough shots, Duke can utilize its size to grab boards and push the ball in transition for easy buckets at the rim. If the Blue Devils can force turnovers, fast breaks will help keep them in control of the game. While Duke may not be at full strength, it still has the tools to get a bounce-back win in Atlanta.
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