Three points: Duke men’s basketball must maintain momentum in ACC tournament matchup against Pittsburgh

No. 4-seed Duke begins its path in the ACC tournament on Thursday afternoon with a matchup against No. 5-seed Pittsburgh. The Blue Zone is here with three keys to a Blue Devil win:

Start strong

On Jan. 11, Duke won its first meeting against Pittsburgh, 77-69. However, it was outscored 43-32 in the first half as the Panthers shot 56.7% from the field. With the stakes significantly higher Thursday, allowing another such opening period would not be the postseason start the Blue Devils want. As hot as the team has been recently, winning its last six games, everyone starts the postseason with a 0-0 record. In order to get off on the right foot, Duke should turn to its biggest strength: defense. Neutralizing the Panthers’ offensive attack starts with shutting down Jamarius Burton. The graduate guard led the team in scoring in its second round victory against Georgia Tech and in its first matchup against the Blue Devils with 21 and 16 points, respectively. Duke guards Jeremy Roach and Tyrese Proctor will both need to rise to the challenge, and with the defensive development Proctor has undergone throughout the season, the duo is better equipped to stop Burton now than it was the first time around. Should the Blue Devils stand strong and avoid an early Pittsburgh run, they will be in good shape to advance to the semifinals.

Play physical

A major part of Duke’s recent success has been the play of its freshman frontcourt duo: Kyle Filipowski and Dereck Lively II. Filipowski, recently named the ACC Freshman of the Year, was the driving factor in the team’s most recent game against North Carolina. The Westtown, N.Y., product battled his way to the free throw line en route to a 22-point, 13-rebound outing, and showed a relentlessness under the basket that he will need going forward. In addition, he was pivotal in the Blue Devils’ first win against the Panthers, leading the team with 28 points. Lively makes his impact on the other side of the court. A selection to the ACC All-Defensive Team, he towers over the paint at 7-foot-1 and has developed into a prolific shot-blocker. The key for both players will be avoiding mistakes on account of their physicality. Filipowski is prone to turnovers when he tries to power through one too many defenders, and Lively has gotten into foul trouble when he plays too aggressively on defense. Duke will need a strong showing from both freshmen to find success Thursday.

Stay Crazie

In his first season at the helm, head coach Jon Scheyer led the Blue Devils to an undefeated record at home. However, all of their remaining games will take place away from Cameron Indoor Stadium. While the crowd in Greensboro, N.C., will likely be full of Duke blue, the atmosphere cannot replicate the energy of the Cameron Crazies. The Blue Devils boast a 24.6 net rating at home but have a lowly minus-0.6 net rating on the road, putting them in the 99th and 49th percentile, respectively, per CBB Analytics. Their numbers in neutral site games are no better, although these contests include matchups against now-No. 3 Kansas and now-No. 5 Purdue. Duke is fully capable of playing its best basketball on any court, but in order to play to its full potential Thursday and beyond, the team must harness the confidence it has at home.