After downing N.C. State 92-89 in their ACC tournament opener, the Blue Devils hit the hardwood once again Wednesday at 2 p.m. to take on Notre Dame in the quarterfinals. Duke lost its first matchup against Notre Dame 95-91 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Here are three keys to the game:
Find the right defensive scheme
In its game Tuesday against N.C. State—as well as in the home defeat to Notre Dame earlier this season—the Blue Devils have shown a penchant for scoring, but also giving up a huge number of points. Whether it is man or possibly zone, Duke has to figure out what works on defense early to be able to put together a consistent effort to match the high-powered Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame ranks as the fourth-best offense in the conference with an average of 76.4 points per game and the Fighting Irish are especially dangerous from deep, where they shoot almost 37 percent on average. No matter the defense the Blue Devils decide to play, they must keep an eye on sophomore Bonzie Colson, who has averaged 24 points in his last two games against Duke.
Keep the ball out of the paint
The easiest way to tire out a thin rotation is to force the big men to play both ends of the floor at all times. After a herculean effort against N.C. State, Marshall Plumlee has to be feeling some fatigue on the court just 24 hours later and the Blue Devils will need to compensate for this.
Notre Dame’s ultra-efficient offense is capable of scoring points in the paint with Colson and third team All-ACC selection Zach Auguste. If Duke can keep the ball on the perimeter and force the Fighting Irish to hit tough looks from the outside, the Blue Devils can give themselves a chance to hold Notre Dame to a respectable margin and come away with a victory.
Be patient offensively
After piecing together one of its most fluid offensive games of the year, Duke needs to continue to ride the momentum, knowing that running their sets will generate high-percentage looks all game. Expect the Blue Devils to find more success on the offensive end of the floor by finding open lanes and passes to the corner as opposed to resorting to 1-on-1 action with sophomore Grayson Allen and freshman Brandon Ingram.
The Fighting Irish have not been one of the better defensive teams in the ACC this season themselves and prefer the same kind of shootout Duke survived in against N.C. State. Turning in another solid shooting performance is just what the Blue Devils will need to advance to the semifinals of the ACC tournament.
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