The Blue Devils missed suspended guard Grayson Allen against Virginia Tech Saturday, falling to the Hokies 89-75 in Duke’s ACC opener. After starting off conference play on the wrong foot, the Blue Devils look to get back on track against a 9-4 Georgia Tech team at home Wednesday. The Blue Zone takes a look at a player from each team who could be the difference-maker in the game:
Duke: Guard Frank Jackson
Although the Blue Devils had no answer defensively Saturday, allowing Virginia Tech to shoot 55.2 percent from the field and 61.5 from 3-point range, their offense looked just as ineffective at times. Duke also struggled to move the ball without Allen as a facilitator, mustering just eight assists in the contest. Jackson, the freshman from Alpine, Utah, replaced Allen in the starting lineup but scored just six points on 3-of-9 shooting with no assists.
Jackson is the only player who can resemble a true point guard at times on the Blue Devils’ roster, but his effort Saturday failed to show that he can run the offense against tough competition. If Jackson performs like the aggressive playmaker he was to start out the season, when he averaged 15.4 points through the first eight games, Duke’s offense should flow more smoothly against Georgia Tech after the defense collapses around penetration.
Georgia Tech: Guard Tadric Jackson
A 6-foot-2 junior, Jackson is the Yellow Jackets’ third leading scorer at 11.3 points per game. But more importantly, the Tifton, Ga., native is shooting 51.6 percent from 3-point range in 12 contests and scored in double figures in four of the team's previous five games before Saturday's upset of then-No. 9 North Carolina.
The Blue Devils struggled to defend the 3-point line against Virginia Tech after allowing dribble penetration, and if their defensive lapses continue, Jackson could make Duke's first ACC win tougher than expected.
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