No. 4 Duke closes out exhibition play Saturday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Division II Central Missouri. Here are the three keys to this afternoon's contest, which will tip off at 1 p.m.:
Keep Sharing the Ball
A year ago, the Blue Devils featured an explosive but often stagnant offense centered around isolating the talented duo of Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood. With both now on NBA rosters, this year’s Duke offense should have a much more balanced offense facilitated by point guards Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook. The Blue Devils spread the ball around beautifully in their exhibition opener against Livingstone Tuesday, assisting on an 25 of 34 made field goals. Those kind of unselfish performances need to become the norm if Duke hopes to maximize its wealth of talent this season.
Stay Hot From Behind the Arc
The Blue Devils knocked down 15 of their 32 3-point attempts Tuesday, with starter Matt Jones leading the way with five 3-pointers after making just three all of last season. With dominant 6-foot-11 center Jahlil Okafor entering and top deep threats Hood and Andre Dawkins leaving, Duke should have a much more inside-out look than in years past. But with projected starters Matt Jones and Justise Winslow hitting eight of their 13 attempts from long range and the team overall shooting at nearly a 50-percent clip, the Blue Devils look poised to add another facet to an already dangerous offensive attack.
Stay Healthy
With less than a week left before the regular season opener Nov. 14 against Presbyterian, Saturday’s exhibition contest against a Division II opponent will likely not be that damaging for Duke as long as it escapes unscathed on the injury front. The Blue Devils are in the desirable position of being able to substitute in an entire fresh lineup off their bench with Quinn Cook, Rashee Sulaimon, Marshall Plumlee, Grayson Allen, and Semi Ojeleye.
This gives Duke a huge depth advantage against almost any opponent it will face this season, and should allow the Blue Devils to guard against cold streaks from any individual player. Right now, Duke has all 10 guys healthy and at full strength. Krzyzewski and his staff would hate for that to be ruined in a game that doesn’t count in the standings, especially since none of the 10 players have even missed a practice to this point.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.