It has been smooth sailing for the No. 1 Blue Devils through the first two games of the season. The balanced offensive attack and strong defense have led to a 97-60 win over Princeton Nov. 4 and a 79-45 victory over Miami (Ohio) Tuesday.
Tonight Duke looks to keep up the momentum as it takes on Colgate at 8:30 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“We are improving,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Our kids are playing very hard so we have to keep building.”
Part of this improvement has been figuring out which combinations of players work best for the team and where the chemistry lies. Sophomore Ryan Kelly got the start on Tuesday night, which enabled sophomore Mason Plumlee to play under the basket for the majority of the game. Plumlee responded well to the lineup change, posting his first career double-double, and leading the team on defense with a career-high 14 rebounds.
“Rebounding is always an emphasis, especially after being out-rebounded [vs. Princeton],” Plumlee said. “I think we’re playing great defensively.”
Defense has also been key for the Blue Devils thus far. Duke forced 27 turnovers against the Tigers and held the RedHawks to just 33.3 percent from the floor.
“We played great defense throughout,” Krzyzewski said. “I’m pleased. That was a different type of game for us to play.”
The win over Miami was different on offense as well. The Blue Devils executed a very balanced attack with everyone contributing. Sophomore Seth Curry led the way with 17 points, and freshman Kyrie Irving added 13, while Mason Plumlee and senior Nolan Smith each scored 10.
“I thought the whole team played well,” said Singler. “We shared the ball well and played for all 40 minutes.”
Duke’s main weakness against the RedHawks was an inability to convert at the free-throw line, shooting just 67.7 percent. Krzyzewski stated after the game that they can’t miss that many free throws and when they miss, they can’t miss them as badly as they did Tuesday.
Following the matchup with the Raiders, the Blue Devils will travel to Kansas City to take on Marquette and the winner of the Gonzaga/Kansas State game. Krzyzewski said that the Duke’s schedule is supposed to challenge them, yet it is crucial that Duke (2-0) does not overlook Colgate (0-2). The Raiders have only lost by a total of five points in their first two games.
“It doesn’t matter who we play,” Irving said. “Our goal is always to go out and play hard.”
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