After splitting the season series this year, No. 11 Notre Dame is looking to upset No. 2 Duke to reach the ACC tournament final for the first time since joining the conference. Although the Blue Devils ran the Fighting Irish out of Cameron Indoor Stadium at the half 50-24 in their last meeting, the higher stakes present a different atmosphere in Greensboro in the semifinals of the ACC tournament at 9 p.m. Friday. This time, the pressure is once again on Duke to maintain its No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament field and prevent a team outside the state of North Carolina from winning the ACC title for the fourth straight year. Before every game this season, the Blue Zone will select a player on both teams that could make a difference for their respective squads.
Duke: guard Matt Jones
In the first meeting against then-No. 8 Notre Dame in South Bend, the home squad rallied from a 10-point deficit—closing the game on a 22-8 run—to capture the victory in thrilling fashion. When the matchup moved to Cameron Indoor Stadium, the story had a much different plot. Duke could not miss from anywhere on the floor—shooting over 60 percent from the field—and evened the season series in a rout 90-60.
The sophomore was a big part of the turnaround at home. After shooting 1-of-3 from the floor—scoring just two points in 21 minutes—in the first tilt, Jones lit up the Fighting Irish for 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 27 minutes at home. Following the dismissal of guard Rasheed Sulaimon after the first matchup—the last loss for Duke in its current 12 game win-streak—Jones met head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s expectations in stepping up on both ends of the floor.
Now that the Desoto, Texas, native has worked his way into the starting lineup as of late, he will have the opportunity to put his sharpshooting to the test on the big stage. The 6-foot-5 wing will look to replicate his second performance against the upset-minded Notre Dame squad in order to power his team to another chance at an ACC title. The Blue Devils will rely on Jones to space the floor with his 37.4 percent 3-point shooting clip to be successful on the offensive end of the court, especially if fellow guards Quinn Cook and Tyus Jones have a rare off shooting night.
Defensively, the sophomore will be expected to keep his head on a swivel against the streaky Fighting Irish guards. With four guards in the starting lineup that can shoot consistently from anywhere on the floor—including senior sharpshooters Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton—Jones will have to stay at home, maintain his assignment and be mindful of the swing-pass leading to an open three. If the Blue Devil guard can produce on both ends of the floor, his team will likely be set up in Saturday’s final for the second year in a row.
Notre Dame: guard Jerian Grant
The senior guard was a major part of the success for Notre Dame in its first win against Duke this season; however, on the road, Grant failed to meet expectations. In the win, the senior played the entire game, scoring 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting and dishing out 12 assists to propel his team to a comeback victory. When the tilt moved to the unfriendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium, Grant shot 3-of-10 for seven points and added only four assists.
A big key for the Fighting Irish guard will come from the free throw line if the game is close in the closing minutes. Although Grant shoots 76.3 percent from the charity stripe, he went 1-of-7 in the most recent matchup between the two squads. If Notre Dame is going to find success against the Blue Devils in Greensboro, the 6-foot-5 guard will have to make every shot count in the clutch to capture the victory.
Even if Grant cannot produce offensively for the Fighting Irish alone, he will be expected to swing the ball on the perimeter to find his fellow sharpshooters Pat Connaughton, Demetrius Jackson, V.J. Beachem and Steve Vasturia, all of whom shoot better than 40 percent from distance. Averaging 6.6 assists per game, the Bowie, Md., native can look for the open man when he penetrates to give Duke’s defense fits.
On the defensive end of the court, Grant will have his hands full against the Blue Devil backcourt of Jones and Cook, which has played like one of the best perimeter duos in the nation lately. Grant will have to be prepared to pressure the ball and force contested shots if he wants to lead his squad into its first ACC title game, in addition to shouldering a huge load on the offensive end.
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