Save a short stretch in the second half in which Robert Morris managed to cut the lead to 10, Duke had little trouble dispatching the No. 16 seed Friday night in Charlotte at Time Warner Cable Arena. In their Round of 32 matchup at 2:40 p.m. Sunday, the Blue Devils will take on eighth-seeded San Diego State, a program with six-straight NCAA tournament appearances and a coach, Steve Fisher, who took Michigan’s Fab Five to the 1992 National Championship game against Duke. Here are the three keys to the game:
Get out on the break
In the Round of 64 matchup, St. John’s outscored the Aztecs 16-2 in transition. Although the Red Storm boast a smaller, quicker lineup than San Diego State, the Blue Devils’ ability to run the floor ranks with the best in the nation. Basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy puts Duke at second in adjusted offensive efficiency, behind Wisconsin, with 122.0 points per 100 offensive possessions, and the Blue Devils have one of the best coast-to-coast finishers in the country in freshman Justise Winslow.
By pushing the ball, Duke will be able to keep a stout San Diego State defense, which normally holds opponents to just 53.5 points per game, on its heels. In addition to getting Winslow and guards Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook easy opportunities in the paint, the transition game will also open up good kick-out looks for the guards from beyond the arc.
Give the poor-shooting Aztecs different defensive looks
San Diego State put up 40 points and recorded 16 three-point attempts in the first half of its matchup with St. John’s, prompting Fisher to remark after the game "When we score like that we can beat any team in the country." The Aztecs don’t score like that too often, however, averaging just 62.2 points and 16.5 three-pointers attempted per game. Moreover, San Diego State shoots just 32.4 percent from beyond the arc and 42.0 percent overall, compared to Duke’s rates of 38.9 and 50.6 percent.
Duke experimented with the zone defense throughout the regular season, so look for head coach Mike Krzyzewski to use it against the Aztecs to keep them guessing and force them to take pull-up jumpers and outside shots against a defense that is much longer than that of the Red Storm.
Avoid trouble on the double
Among his many offensive skills, ACC Player of the Year Jahlil Okafor’s passing game has shown signs of brilliance. At times this season, however, Duke’s perimeter players have remained stagnant after feeding the post, and left Okafor to contend with double teams with few options for kicking it out.
The Aztec defense ranks fourth in Pomeroy’s adjusted defensive rating, and Fisher’s teams have always been great at trapping the low post. To keep their offense from stalling, the Blue Devils must move—cut, screen, flash—off of their post feeds to space the floor and open lanes. Otherwise, it will be Fisher who sends a talented class of freshmen home without a ring this time.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.