Duke men’s basketball will take on another ACC opponent when Miami travels to Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Chronicle previews Tuesday's matchup with an overview and three keys to the game:
Overview
2023-24 record: 15-17, 6-14 in the ACC
2024-25 record: 4-12, 0-5 in the ACC
Head coach: Bill Courtney (Interim)
History: Duke leads 26-9
Last meeting: 84-55 Duke, Feb. 21, 2024
Perhaps the last thing Miami needs during a period of struggle is a contest with the ACC’s current heavyweight. Just over three weeks ago, the Hurricanes lost head coach Jim Larrañaga to an early season retirement. Although the season was off to a rough start anyway — the team went 4-8 with Larrañaga — interim head coach Bill Courtney has yet to see any turnaround. Miami has lost four straight conference games under Courtney, with only an 85-86 heartbreaker against Virginia Tech kept within single digits.
The Hurricanes are on a trajectory to finish toward the bottom of a weak ACC — they remain the only ACC team without a conference win. They have hardly proven an ability to win games, much less big games, as all four wins are currently categorized as Quad 4. Expect No. 4 Duke to enter as a heavy favorite, with an expectation to remain undefeated in conference play.
Miami’s struggles are not helped by the absence of superstar guard Nijel Pack. Pack, out since an ankle injury sustained in a Dec. 10 contest against No. 1 Tennessee, is the team’s only remaining player from its 2023 Final Four run. In his absence, Matthew Cleveland has stepped up. Cleveland is currently leading the team in scoring with 17.8 ppg in ACC play and 41.9% clip from deep.
The Hurricanes are sliding — there is no doubt about it. Yet, the Blue Devils are far from invincible. Their weak closing minutes against Notre Dame — a stretch in which they allowed a 13-0 run that withered their lead to just five — frame what might happen should Duke roll into Cameron Indoor Stadium underestimating its opponent.
3 Keys
Space the floor: A key component of the Blue Devils’ late-game struggles Saturday was the inability to strike from deep. Kon Knueppel went 2-of-7, Tyrese Proctor hit on just 1-of-5 and Caleb Foster missed all three attempts from behind the arc. This shooting performance allowed the Fighting Irish to key in on Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach on the interior, powering the defensive end of their late-game run.
On the season, Duke is still a talented 3-point shooting team — Proctor and Isaiah Evans both shoot at over a 40% clip from deep, and Knueppel has posted three nights with four made triples. Should this backcourt become more comfortable at shooting without volume — capitalizing on looks that develop when the ball is running through Flagg — the Blue Devils could start to see their offense elevated to the nation-leading level of their defense.
The wing matchup: The star power in Tuesday’s contest rests at the wing. On Miami’s end, Cleveland is the volume scorer in Pack’s absence. His 6-foot-7 frame paired with an effective stroke from deep makes him a versatile scorer. In the six games since Pack’s injury, Cleveland has scored over 20 points in four.
The rising star for the Hurricanes is likely to see a matchup with Flagg, still in the national spotlight coming off a record-setting 42-point showing against Notre Dame. A career night for the freshman phenom, Flagg undoubtedly demonstrated his ability to efficiently produce at all three levels. On the defensive end, the projected No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick remains at the top on a national level. Flagg sits third in defensive rating and defensive box plus/minus, as well as fifth in win shares per/40 minutes, according to SportsReference. Expect to see Cleveland and Flagg around the ball for a large share of the night — coming out dominant in this matchup could capture the momentum for either side.
Rounding out the defense: A potential disruptor for Duke’s rotation is the status of Maliq Brown. Brown exited Saturday’s game with a right knee injury. Although he returned to the bench in the second half, the Syracuse transfer will be out for an extended period of time and miss Tuesday’s game. Though he might not stuff the stat sheet, Brown’s unparalleled ability to draw deflections and apply on-ball pressure has been a critical aspect of the Blue Devils’ No. 2 defensive rating, according to KenPom.
In Brown’s absence, expect to see Jon Scheyer turn to the inexperienced Patrick Ngongba II to fill minutes at the five. Although he is certainly talented, the 6-foot-11 center is still a freshman prone to defensive lapses and foul trouble — a point that the Hurricanes’ frontcourt may be able to exploit. A clean game from Maluach and Ngongba down low combined with a cohesive effort all around on the defensive end will be needed to help fill the potential void.
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