And so it begins. The Blue Devils will take the court against Bowie State, their first opponent of the season in exhibition play, Saturday at 1 pm. Excitement is in the air as Duke faces off against its first opponent this season. The Blue Devils will unleash the pressure defense and fast-paced playing style that has been spoken about often during the off-season. Here are three key things to watch against Bowie State:
Who will be Duke's number three scorer and contributor?
Rodney Hood and Jabari Parker have been the talk of Duke basketball, and both make their debut Saturday. The two forwards will undoubtedly contribute on the offensive and defensive ends, and likely be the top scorers with such skill and athleticism. It may vary game to game, but this will be the first opportunity for a third player to fill a significant role for Duke. There is no clear third scorer or contributor to this team as there was last season with the trio of Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly, and Seth Curry. This will be the first opportunity for players like Rasheed Sulaimon, Quinn Cook, Andre Dawkins and Amile Jefferson to make that first step.
What will this "new" playing style look like with a deep roster?
Fans got their first opportunity to see Duke's new style of play during Countdown to Craziness, but matched up against their teammates, the Blue Devils committed many fouls, slowing the game down to a crawl. Bowie State will be the first real opponent against whom Duke can put their new playing style to the test. The biggest question is whether this style and lineup can succeed at the college level. Teams like the Miami Heat in the NBA have proven a lack of dominant inside presence has not been necessary, but few teams in college have had the luxury of so many skilled and athletic wing players as Duke. With so many threats, how will head coach Mike Krzyzewski manage minutes and lineups to put the best squad on the court at all times? The rotation in an exhibition will likely be larger than it will be in the regular season, but this will be the fans' first look at who may play consistently for the Blue Devils this season.
Will Duke score more than 100 points?
This is a serious question. Duke always plays well against far lesser competition during exhibition play. Considering that three major recruits for next year's class will be in attendance, a commanding showing from the Blue Devils will go a long way to setting a standard of excellence this season. It may prove important to recruiting and to fan confidence in Duke this season for the Blue Devils to have a commanding victory against Bowie State. It would be great to see this roster and playing style gel well together and put on a show, especially when matched up with a lesser opponent. If Duke can command the game by playing hard defense and scoring easy transition buckets, don't be surprised if the score gets close to triple-digits.
Make sure to follow @dukebasketball on Twitter for the most up-to-date action.
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