In a matchup of two of college basketball’s most-storied programs, No. 7 Duke will take on Indiana in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The matchup between the teams will be the first since the Blue Devils defeated the Hoosiers 54-51 in 2006. Duke has gone a perfect 6-0 at home in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and will look to extend its NCAA-best 120 consecutive non-conference home win streak. Here are three keys to the game:
Crash the boards
Led by senior Amile Jefferson and graduate student Marshall Plumlee, the Blue Devils have performed well on the glass and helped the team secure opponents' misses. Jefferson ranks third in the nation with an average of 5.1 offensive rebounds per game and has helped Duke average 15.6 second-chance points per contest.
Against Indiana Wednesday, the Blue Devil big men will be challenged in the paint by center Thomas Bryant and forward Troy Williams. But Duke may need its perimeter players to hold their own and bring down rebounds as well. Guards Yogi Ferrell and James Blackmon Jr. have been two of the top rebounders on the Hoosiers roster and are not afraid to battle for rebounds with post players. Considering Indiana’s offense is ranked seventh in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, extra possessions for the Hoosiers could hurt the Blue Devils on the scoreboard.
Attack the basket
In the early part of the season, Indiana has struggled mightily with ball pressure and let opponent guards find their way to the basketball at well. The Hoosiers allowed 52 points in the paint to Wake Forest in a loss last week and will surely have their hands full against Allen, who has excelled at the rim all year.
But Duke’s other weapons should look to take advantage of Indiana’s weak defense as well. Freshmen Derryck Thornton and Brandon Ingram have both had their ups-and-downs this season but both are capable of scoring near the basket. Thornton will be looking to respond from one of the worst performances of his young career after being held to just two points on 1-of-9 shooting Sunday. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils will look to get the ball in Ingram’s hands more after he attempted a season-low four shots against Utah State.
Find the defense that works early
Outside of Duke’s matchup against Kentucky, the team has not faced a backcourt duo as dynamic as Ferrell and Blackmon, who are the top two scorers on the team with averages of 17 and 15 points per game, respectively. Ferrell’s biggest attribute is his quickness and agility and both will make him a tough matchup if the Blue Devils opt to play man-to-man. The point guard can be a nightmare to defend on the pick and roll and is capable of knocking down perimeter jumpers as well.
Blackmon is coming off a career-high 33 points in Indiana’s victory against Alcorn State. The sophomore is a marksman from distance and is shooting 49 percent from deep so far this season. In recent weeks, Duke has opted to play zone defense and has feasted on poor perimeter shooting from its opponents. But the Hoosiers are one of the better three-point shooting teams in the country and have shot 45-percent from beyond the arc as a team, putting the Blue Devils’ plans of playing zone defense in peril.
Whether head coach Mike Krzyzewski opts to play man-to-man or zone, Duke will be better off finding its best defensive scheme early in the contest. If the Blue Devils let the Hoosiers build an early rhythm on offense and let their opponents quiet Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke will struggle to dispatch a talented Indiana squad.
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