After a win against Notre Dame Wednesday night, Duke will look to establish a win streak against Boston College at home Saturday. Before tipoff, the Blue Zone is here with a potential difference-maker for each squad:
Duke: Mark Mitchell
As the season has progressed, one could argue that Mark Mitchell has been one of the most improved players on the team. That argument was only further emphasized Wednesday night, as Mitchell posted a team-high 13 points and 10 rebounds in his third-recorded double-double performance of the season. Over the past four games, Mitchell has also been particularly impressive on the boards, averaging a respectable 7.8 rebounds per game, a team high during that stretch. Although the Duke forward struggled earlier on in the season, Mitchell seems to be hitting his stride.
The Kansas City native will need to post another strong game Saturday when he is matched up against either Quinten Post or Devin McGlockton, Boston College’s two strongest forwards. Post has been the best overall player on the team throughout the season, and McGlockton has also proven to be a strong threat. As a result, Mitchell will need to neutralize whichever big man he is guarding and continue to be forceful on the offensive side of the ball for the Blue Devils to be successful.
If the Sunrise Christian alum can continue to have his way in the paint, that could potentially motivate some other Duke forwards to do the same, positioning the Blue Devils to be successful. However, if Mitchell is not able to emulate the performance he had Wednesday, and if some of Duke’s other forwards cannot produce, then the Eagles could dominate the paint and be set up for a victory.
Boston College: Quinten Post
Over the course of the season, Boston College has had its ups and downs, but a constant has been the performance of Post. The 7-foot graduate center averages 16.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, a team high in both categories. Moreover, Post is coming off arguably one of his best showings of the season against Florida State Tuesday, where he posted a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds. What’s more impressive is that Post has not only had success with getting easy buckets and rebounds but also in the shooting department. The Amsterdam native shoots a staggering 80% from the foul line as well as 43.3% from 3-point land, not bad for a big man. He has been the centerpiece of the Eagles’ offense the entire season and could be poised to have a monster game against a struggling Blue Devil frontcourt.
Duke’s ability to limit Post on offense could be the deciding factor in the game, and it is Kyle Filipowski, Mitchell and Ryan Young that will be tasked with that job. If the Blue Devils’ big men continue to struggle as they did in some of their previous losses, then Boston College could deliver a major upset in Cameron Indoor Stadium. On the other hand, if Duke rises to the occasion and can shut down Post both inside and on the perimeter, then it should be in position to earn another win in Cameron.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.