After three straight comeback victories to claim the Motion bracket championship at the PK80 Invitational this past weekend, Duke will look to get off to a fast start against Indiana Wednesday night at Assembly Hall as a part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Fast Start
In their first true road game of the season, the Blue Devils do not want the raucous Hoosier fans to get into the game. If Duke is slow out of the gates for its sixth straight game, a rebuilding Indiana team may be able to feed off the crowd’s energy at fabled Assembly Hall and put up a tough fight. The Blue Devil freshmen have shown poise and maturity despite slow starts on a big stage at the PK80, but have yet to experience tens of thousands of fans actively rooting against them. Getting out to a fast start will help minimize the Hoosiers’ home court advantage.
Get Hot from Deep
Before shooting at a 43.5 percent clip from downtown against Florida Sunday night, Duke had shot under 30 percent from beyond the arc for four straight games. Guards Grayson Allen and Gary Trent Jr. combined to go 8-for-43 from deep during that stretch. But against the Gators, the duo heated up and went 7-for-13, keeping the Blue Devils in the game as Florida tried to run away with the contest midway through the first half.
The matchup against Indiana is a perfect opportunity for both to build up confidence in their shot and regain their shooting groove. The Hoosiers are 347th in the nation in three-point field goal defense, allowing opponents to convert on an astounding 44.8 percent of their tries.
In its two losses this year, Indiana allowed Indiana State and Seton Hall to shoot 65.4 percent and 52.9 percent, respectively, from deep. If Duke gets hot, Hoosier defenders will have to make the difficult choice of running out to the perimeter to contest a three or staying in the paint for added help against freshman sensation and early National Player of the Year favorite Marvin Bagley III.
Feast in the Paint
As has been the case for most the season, when all else fails, the Blue Devils have looked to their big men in the paint to take over. Bagley dominated at the PK80, putting up 64 points and 30 rebounds in the final two game and earned MVP honors at the tournament.
He is averaging 22.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game—statistics that include his 10-minute stint against Michigan State. His per-40 minutes stat line is even more impressive at 29.3 points and 14.8 rebounds per game. With Indiana having just one regular rotation player measuring six-foot-10 or above, Bagley could be in line to have another monster game.
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