After dismantling Furman 93-54 Wednesday, No. 4 Duke will face off against a 5-0 Army squad—off to its best start since the 1976-77 campaign when second-year head coach Mike Krzyzewski got the team rolling with seven straight victories. Sunday the Blue Devils welcome Krzyzewski’s alma mater and former team to Cameron Indoor Stadium for a 12 p.m. tip. Before every Blue Devil contest this season, we will select a player from each team who could be the critical piece to the puzzle:
Duke: guard Matt Jones
So far this season, the sophomore guard has stepped up off the bench to provide a spark on both ends of the court. Jones is averaging 7.8 points and shooting 58.8 percent from three-point range and has kept the scoring alive from the perimeter when starters Quinn Cook, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones need a breather.
Although his freshman season lacked the sharpshooting abilities that he was touted for as a recruit—making only three shots from long range all year—Jones has filled that role through the first six games of his sophomore campaign. The Desoto, Texas, native provided two key three-pointers midway through Wednesday’s match up with Furman, stretching the first half lead against the Paladins. By the end of the game, he walked off the court 4-for-5 from downtown.
The 6-foot-5 wing matches up his ability to connect from distance with his strong defensive instincts and hustle off of the ball. With a good balance of strength, quickness and intensity on the defensive end of the ball, Jones is poised to give opposing offenses trouble, especially as the game wears on. If he can combine his strong hustle on defense with his newfound stroke, the sophomore will be able to provide a spark for the Blue Devils off the bench.
Against Army Sunday, depth in the backcourt will be a key to winning the game, especially against juniors Tanner Plomb and Kyle Wilson. As a team, the Black Knights are shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from beyond the arc. Led by Plomb, who is shooting 45 percent from three this season, the Blue Devils will have to be alert on defense to prevent a shootout.
Army: guard Kyle Wilson
Army will turn to its junior guard to provide a spark against the Blue Devils in hopes of infiltrating hostile territory for the upset. Wilson has Led the Black Knights to a 5-0 start and is averaging 21.4 points and 4.4 rebounds thus far this season. A renowned shooter, his biggest threat to the Blue Devils Sunday will be his ability to knock down shots from the perimeter.
The Mission Viejo, Calif., native is shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc this season—he was 5-for-8 from downtown against Binghamton Tuesday—and has demonstrated his ability to catch fire early in the season. Last year as a sophomore, the 6-foot-4 guard was fourth in the Patriot League in 3-point shooting at 43.4 percent.
Wilson’s capacity to shoot the ball will be critical for Army to stay in the game against a Duke backcourt that has only allowed opponents to shoot 20 percent from beyond the arc—just 18 shots made out of 90 attempts. Although the Black Knights will look to counter freshman Jahlil Okafor on the block with 6-foot-10 center Kevin Ferguson, the key to success will reside in Wilson’s ability to move without the ball and strike from long range.
If the junior struggles to get open and create opportunities against Cook, Sulaimon and the Blue Devil backcourt, the Black Knights will struggle to put up points against a strong Duke defense.
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