The Blue Devils will look to build on their first ACC win this afternoon, travelling into Clemson, SC where they have not lost since 2009. Despite the struggles of Duke’s leading scorer Jabari Parker—shooting just 6-for-22 from the field in conference play—the Blue Devils (12-3, 1-1) need to hold the offensive edge in Littlejohn Coliseum. Three focuses for the Blue Devils:
Establish Scoring Depth
Parker’s recent offensive struggles are well documented. Even if he has already graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, Parker is a freshman who’s carried much—perhaps too much—of Duke’s offensive load thus far. Other members of the Blue Devil arsenal including Rodney Hood—averaging an outstanding 27.0 ppg in conference play—Quinn Cook and Andre Dawkins all have the ability to score prolifically and share the offensive responsibilities for head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Get Big
Of the projected starters, Duke’s only height mismatch (albeit a small one) comes at the center position—Amile Jefferson stands 6-foot-9 while Clemson’s Landry Nnoko is listed at 6-foot-10. That being said, Duke’s starting frontcourt is 50 pounds lighter than its Clemson counterpart. The Blue Devils must assert themselves down low and avoiding getting muscled around by the bulkier Tiger squad, particularly when it comes to rebounding and controlling the paint.
Match Clemson’s Defensive Intensity
The Tiger faithful are going to be all jacked up. Today’s game marks the first sellout in Littlejohn Coliseum for almost two years, there’s a pom pom in every seat, and a raucous home crowd will no doubt fuel Clemson’s defensive energy. The Tigers’ defense can be both frustrating and effective—Clemson has held three teams to 40 points or fewer, while Duke’s best defensive performance yielded 48 points to Elon. Duke must pressure the Tigers defensively if they are to control the game.
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