After a successful three-game homestand, the Blue Devils will travel to Tallahassee, Fla., to take on the Seminoles. Ahead of the contest, the Blue Zone brings you three keys to a Duke victory:
Keep Driving
In Monday night’s contest against Wake Forest, Duke shot an abysmal 28.0% from 3-point land, not a great number for a team which has hit the deep ball at a 36.8% clip on the season. Much of this is a result of star freshmen Jared McCain’s recent shooting slump. Over the past five games, the Sacramento, Calif., native has shot just 27.8% from behind the arc, while leading the team in attempts during that span.
Nonetheless, head coach John Scheyer’s squad put up 77 points, largely as a result of work done on the inside and at the free-throw line. The Blue Devils made it to the charity stripe 25 times, highlighted by Mark Mitchell’s eight trips. The sophomore forward ended with 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field, tying a season high in points.
Look for an emphasis from Scheyer on continuing to force the ball inside. Star sophomore center Kyle Filipowski was also successful in the paint against the Demon Deacons, finishing with 21 points after making just one 3-pointer. Eventually, Duke will need to hit the deep ball to find more long-term success, particularly in the NCAA tournament, but for now, feeding the two star big men on the inside is a recipe for victory.
Defensive Rebounding
The Blue Devils allowed 15 offensive rebounds Monday night, often allowing one Demon Deacon to grab a board over three or four defenders. Throughout the game, strong defensive possessions for Duke would end in shots late in the clock rebounded by Wake Forest players, a motif which cannot continue in order for the Blue Devils to continue to win games.
Grabbing boards can be a difficult task for Scheyer’s squad when he starts a three guard lineup with just one player over 6-foot-10, but finding ways to limit free possessions for Florida State will be crucial to taking a game on the road. Against the Demon Deacons, McCain was second on the team with 10 rebounds, an impressive start for a guard listed at just 6-foot-3. While McCain grabbing the ball and pushing it in transition can certainly light a spark under the offense, his high rebounding numbers will not be enough to sustain Duke moving forward. The Blue Devils need improved performances on the glass from Mitchell, Filipowski and graduate center Ryan Young to keep winning.
Proctor’s resurgence
At the beginning of the season, some were wondering why sophomore point guard Tyrese Proctor did not choose the NBA following his freshman season. Now, after an early season injury, he has not lived up to the preseason hype. The Sydney native is averaging just 10.0 points per game, and failed to score Monday. At his best, Proctor is an elite defender that can score at three levels — two things which are vital to Duke’s success. Saturday afternoon presents a great opportunity for a bounceback for Proctor, as he will look to enhance the strong play Scheyer has seen from fellow guards McCain and senior Jeremy Roach.
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