The Blue Devils are headed to California, but not for the usual sunbathing, surfing, and relaxing at the beach.
In a highly-anticipated season-opener for both teams, No. 2 Duke will head to the West Coast to open the 2013-14 campaign against No. 9 California Sunday at 6 p.m. at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif.
Sunday's matchup will serve as a homecoming for senior point guard Chelsea Gray, who is a native of Manteca, Calif. Freshmen Oderah Chidom and Kendall McCravey-Cooper are also both from California. The team left for its weekend trip Thursday and plans to eat dinner at Gray's house Friday night.
The trio also expect a big contingency of hometown supporters to be in attendance Sunday.
“I’m very excited,” Chidom said. “I know my high school varsity team will all be there and my whole family is coming. Then going to Chelsea’s house to have dinner, it’s all going to be a lot of fun.”
Both teams are coming off successful tournament runs a year ago. The Blue Devils advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament and were defeated by Notre Dame, while the Golden Bears made it to the Final Four before falling to Louisville.
California is led by junior Brittany Boyd and redshirt senior Gennifer Brandon, two potent threats that the Blue Devils will hope to contain. Boyd is a do-it-all point guard, not unlike Gray, who is a threat to post a triple-double on any given night. Her quick first step and ability to penetrate off the dribble opens up options for her and her teammates.
Brandon is a classic post player who averaged 12.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per game last season. At 6-foot-2, her combination of size and athleticism allows her to take over a game and poses a big matchup problem for opponents.
When the teams squared off last season at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils emerged victorious by a score of 77-63. Boyd turned in a magnificent performance that included 23 points and five steals in the second half alone. This time around, Duke feels as if it is prepared to slow down California’s star point guard.
“We’re going to play so many different defenses, it’s not about one person guarding somebody,” Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “If we are great with our team defense and team rebounding, no individual matchup is really relevant.”
As for team concepts, McCallie noted the Golden Bears' overall speed and tenacity in pursuing offensive rebounds as areas that could pose problems for the Blue Devils.
“Cal is a team that’s very athletic, very quick and fast,” McCallie said. “They rely on a lot of 1-on-1 play, going to the basket and offensive rebounds. They have got some very good post players across the board. You have to rebound, defend, and really defend the high post well.”
Preventing second-chance opportunities was a concern following Duke’s last scrimmage against Coker, where the undersized Cobras grabbed 16 offensive rebounds. California, which boasts six players on their roster that are 6-foot-2 or taller, will be even tougher to keep off the glass. Brandon underwent surgery in August to repair a recurrent tibia stress fracture, but should be ready to play. If she can’t go or isn’t at 100 percent, the Golden Bears have plenty of depth down low with Kyra Dunn and Reshanda Gray.
Most of the responsibility to keep California in check down low will fall on the shoulders of junior center Elizabeth Williams, who averaged 7.3 rebounds and nearly three blocks per game last year on her way to her second All-America selection. She will be aided in the post by two talented freshmen in Chidom and McCravey-Cooper, who are steadily improving and ready to contribute. The freshman duo chipped in with a combined 23 points and 12 rebounds against Coker, providing energy off the bench.
“Loved Oderah and Kendall off the bench,” McCallie said after Sunday’s scrimmage. “They looked more like sophomores today than freshmen—definitely older and more mature.”
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