In their first home game since Jan. 19 and since head coach Mike Krzyzewski notched win No. 1,000, the No. 4 Blue Devils will host Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium.Three keys to Duke earning its second consecutive ACC win:
Keep the stars fresh
After the dismissal of Rasheed Sulaimon, the regular first man off the bench for Duke this season, Duke has had to develop a new rotation. Against Virginia, guards Matt Jones and Grayson Allen stepped up in Sulaimon’s absence, totaling 35 minutes and giving the Blue Devil starters some much-needed rest by holding their own on the court. It was Allen’s first extensive action since November, and though he scored just one point in 11 minutes, head coach Mike Krzyzewski said the 6-foot-4 guard will get to build on his experience in a huge game in the coming weeks. Jones had his third straight game logging at least 20 minutes and embraced his increased role with a huge nine-point, three-board performance.
But although all eyes have been on the Blue Devils' backcourt rotation, Georgia Tech could test Duke's frontcourt depth with big men Charles Mitchell and Demarco Cox. The Blue Devils could need to use Marshall Plumlee and Amile Jefferson in traditional lineups more than they did last week, and after losing some of their flexibility with small lineups due to Sulaimon's dismissal, Duke's new rotation will be a factor to keep an eye on.
Shut down dribble penetration without fouling
Georgia Tech is one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the nation, ranking 334th out of 345 Division I teams in triples made per game at just 4.1 on a woeful 25.7 percent clip. But led by forward Marcus Georges-Hunt, the Yellow Jackets are capable of surprising lazy defenses by attacking the paint and getting to the free throw line. When Georgia Tech shocked then-No. 23 Miami by 20 points last Wednesday, the Yellow Jackets got 34 points in the paint and 22 free throw attempts en route to a 70-50 win.
The Blue Devils have more raw talent than Georgia Tech, but if they aren't focused on the defensive end, they could easily find themselves in another dogfight against a team that is better than its record indicates. Seven of the Yellow Jackets' eight ACC losses have come by seven points or less.
Keep Tyus Jones rolling
Duke's freshman point guard shot lights-out late on the road at then-No. 2 Virginia, finishing with 17 points while going 2-5 from long range and 5-6 from the free throw line. Jones played 38 minutes against the Cavaliers and against then-No. 8 Notre Dame and has scored in double figures in his last five games after failing to do so in his previous five. The Blue Devils are at their best when their point guard is in attack mode and can't afford the Apple Valley, Minn., native to lose the mentality that has served him and his teammates so well of late.
Regardless of whether it needs to run specific sets for the 6-foot-1 point guard, or just let him operate normally within the offense and on the break, Duke needs to keep its point guard involved ahead of a rematch with the Fighting Irish Saturday.
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