The key three: Duke basketball vs. East Carolina

The Blue Devils take the court trying to secure their third consecutive win by more than 30 points against East Carolina (4-0) in the second game of the Preseason NIT tournament. It will be the fourth contest in eight days for No. 6 Duke (3-1), and a quick turnaround for the Pirates as well, who defeated Norfolk State late Monday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium 76-74, using a 24-7 run in the last 6:33 to erase a 15-point deficit and remain undefeated. Here are the three keys to the game:

Disciplined Perimeter Defense
East Carolina is fueled by a duo of explosive guards capable of doing damage from the outside—junior Paris Roberts-Campbell and senior Akeem Richmond. For Duke to secure another win, the Blue Devil guards must contest Pirate 3-point attempts and stay disciplined when East Carolina attacks off the dribble to avoid being penalized by the new hand checking rules. If the Blue Devils contain Roberts-Campbell and Richmond and prevent them from getting hot from beyond the arc, they will almost certainly cruise because of their advantage at the forward position.

Rebound and Run
Because of their limited post options, the Pirates are likely going to attempt a high number of 3-pointers—Richmond himself attempted 16 against Norfolk State and made five. If Duke can secure box-outs and use long rebounds as the first pass of the team's fastbreak, the Blue Devils will punish East Carolina and likely put up gaudy offensive numbers once again. Additionally, redshirt sophomore Rodney Hood, sophomore forward Amile Jefferson and freshman forward Jabari Parker should be able to give Duke another monstrous advantage on the offensive glass with their athleticism. Conversely, if Duke does not rebound effectively, the Pirates could hurt the Blue Devils with their ability to shoot the three off their own offensive rebounds.

More Aggression from Sophomore Starters
Yes, Parker and Hood have been phenomenal and efficient as the focal points of Duke's offense this season. However, against tougher competition, many of the halfcourt sets Duke has been running will likely not be so successful after just one or two ball reversals—the Blue Devils will have to start going to their third and fourth options more. As a result, sophomore guard Rasheed Sulaimon and sophomore forward Amile Jefferson need to continue to show that they can provide offensive sparks and take pressure off of Parker and Hood—Sulaimon and Jefferson combined for just three field goal attempts against UNC-Asheville. Against Kansas, with Parker and Hood limited by foul trouble and tougher Jayhawk defense, both Sulaimon and Jefferson were often forced to manufacture offense. The pair delivered, combining for 19 field goal attempts and 30 points, but both players need to keep finding ways to get involved instead of being spectators while Parker and Hood create. This will be especially important in the potential Preseason NIT Championship in Madison Square Garden next Friday against No. 5 Arizona.