Before their annual trip down Tobacco Road, the Blue Devils will clash with another upset-minded squad on the road.
No. 11 Duke will take on Boston College Saturday at the Conte Forum at 6 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, Mass. The Blue Devils are in the middle of a five-game stretch featuring four games on the road, with the final game Wednesday at North Carolina.
Before Duke begins preparing for its arch rival, the Blue Devils will have to slow down two of the best scorers in the conference—sophomore guard Olivier Hanlan and junior forward Ryan Anderson. Both players average more than 15 points per game and account for almost half of their team’s offensive production.
“They’re both very different, but equally tough to defend,” associate head coach Jeff Capel said. “With Hanlan, you have a kid that’s explosive, very aggressive, and will look to attack in transition. With Anderson, you have an undersized big guy, but a guy that understands angles, position, and can really score. We have to do a great job.”
Defending Hanlan and Anderson will be Duke’s top priority, but the Blue Devils (18-5, 7-3 in the ACC) will also try to stay in their recent offensive groove against one of the worst defensive teams in the conference. The Eagles (6-16, 2-7) enter play Saturday giving up 74 points per game on 46 percent shooting from the field.
Although Hanlan and Anderson have kept the Eagles in almost every game they have played with their scoring, the Eagles have had trouble finding a consistent third scorer. No other Boston College player averages more than 10 points per game and only four Eagles score more than seven points per contest.
By contrast, Duke has four players averaging more than 10 points per game and a fifth—Rasheed Sulaimon—quickly approaching that clip. Sulaimon’s recent hot streak has come at the perfect time because point guard Quinn Cook has been in a slump.
The junior is shooting 34 percent from the floor in ACC play, 31 percent from beyond the arc and averaging just four assists per contest.
“He’s just not playing well—it’s as simple as that,” Capel said. “But we need him. We know that he’ll turn it around and be big for us.”
When Cook does it turn it around, he will spend more time in the backcourt with the newly rejuvenated Sulaimon. Sulaimon had 16 points and six assists in Duke’s epic loss to Syracuse and backed up his performance with a 19-point effort on Tuesday in the win against Wake Forest.
The sophomore guard has also proven to be the Blue Devils’ most tenacious defender against opposing ball handlers and will likely see more minutes at the point on Saturday.
“Rasheed is really a combo guard,” Capel said. “In a lot of our recent games—especially at the end of the games—we’ve put the ball in his hands and allowed him to play off ball screens. He’s such a good driver, he’s strong and he can really pass the ball. Rasheed is playing well right now.”
Graduate student Andre Dawkins and senior Tyler Thornton have also upped their level of play in recent weeks, giving the Blue Devils something Boston College desperately needs—veteran leadership. The Eagles have no seniors that play meaningful roles and have struggled with consistency as a result.
The Blue Devils have resolved their own early-season consistency issues because of the leadership of Duke’s veterans and the aggressiveness of Sulaimon and big man Amile Jefferson.
All of Duke’s players—most notably go-to-guys Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood—have become much more efficient on both ends of the court because they better understand their roles. The Blue Devils have held six of their last seven opponents to 65 points or fewer while averaging 80.1 points per game.
Despite all recent trends pointing to a comfortable Duke win on Saturday, the Blue Devils know the danger of underestimating an ACC opponent on the road. Duke will be especially wary hitting the road to take on a Boston College squad that put a scare into the Blue Devils in a 62-61 Duke victory at Conte Forum last season.
“All road games are tough,” Capel said. “Although Boston College doesn’t have a great record, they’ve been in every game—especially there. It is a tough place to play. With the way they shoot the ball, they always give themselves a chance. We have to go up with the mindset that we’re going to attack.”
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