The Blue Devils posted a combined 29-4 record through the regular season and ACC tournament, but the slate gets wiped clean now as they begin their quest for the fifth national title in program history. Top-seeded Duke will take on 16th-seeded Robert Morris—which knocked off North Florida 81-77 Wednesday to secure its place in the Round of 64—Friday at 7:10 p.m. at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C. Here are three keys to the game as the Blue Devils look to take their first step on the road to Indianapolis:
Contain the three guards
The Colonials get most of their offensive production from their backcourt, and stopping them will be defensive priority No. 1 for Duke. Rodney Pryor and Marcquise Reed are the two top scorers for Robert Morris, combining for 30.3 points per game. Both of them shoot nearly 50 percent from the field and hit better than 41 percent of their 3-point attempts, making them lethal scoring threats capable of hurting the Blue Devils from any spot on the floor.
Lucky Jones—listed as a guard but much more of a swingman at 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds—is the third-leading scorer for the Colonials at 14.5 points per contest. Jones is also Robert Morris’ leading rebounder at 6.0 boards per game and because of his versatility will likely be matched up with Duke freshman Justise Winslow. If the Blue Devils choose to employ a man-to-man defense, some combination of Tyus Jones, Quinn Cook and Matt Jones will likely handle Pryor and Reed—leaving the task of slowing down Lucky Jones to Winslow, one of the team’s best defenders.
Spread the ball around
Duke boasts a dynamic stable of scoring options that few teams in the country can compete with and is at its best when everyone is contributing. As the Blue Devils cruised to a 77-53 victory against N.C. State in the ACC quarterfinals, they had six players in double figures, none of whom scored more than 15. Even backup center Marshall Plumlee—who averages just 2.3 points per game—got into the mix with a career-high 12 points on six dunks, highlighting the depth and strength of the Duke roster.
The onus will be on starting guards Jones and Cook to get their teammates involved and operate the offense smoothly, as they have all year. Pounding the ball down low to ACC Player of the Year Jahlil Okafor and getting out in transition are two ways the duo can make sure everyone gets their scoring chances and can find the guy enjoying the hot shooting night to carry Duke to victory.
Get off to a hot start
Robert Morris comes into the game riding a seven-game winning streak and will be sure to come out firing as it looks to catch the more talented Blue Devils off guard. Much has been made of Duke’s heralded quartet of freshmen this season, and although they have passed just about every high-pressure test thus far, playing with the win-or-go-home stakes of March Madness is another animal entirely. The four rookies had nothing to do with the program being upset in the Round of 64 twice in the past three seasons, but the specter of those losses still hangs over the team and Cook—who was there for both heartbreakers.
The Blue Devils came out flat in their last game in the ACC tournament semifinals against Notre Dame, allowing the Fighting Irish to open up a 13-point lead in the first 10 minutes that they could never recover from. Playing in control from the opening tip and not letting the moment get the best of them should allow the Blue Devils to open up a lead early and avoid the early exit that has already plagued top seeds such as Iowa State and Baylor.
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