After starting out the season 10-0, No. 1 Duke will take on Saint Francis Tuesday as its final tuneup before conference play opens Saturday at Boston College. The Blue Zone gives three keys to the game for Mike Krzyzewski's squad:
Keep Carter out of foul trouble
When he's been on the floor, Wendell Carter Jr. has been extremely effective for the Blue Devils, averaging nearly a double-double. But he's only averaged 24.7 minutes per game because of constant foul trouble. Carter has been whistled for at least four fouls in three of his last four games, including fouling out against Indiana and three in just 16 minutes Saturday against South Dakota.
With conference play looming, Duke will need Carter to play clean basketball and stay on the floor. Against an undersized Red Flash squad, Carter should be able to stay out of foul trouble. If he continues to be kept off the court by fouls, it could be a major concern for the Blue Devils going forward.
Get Trent comfortable
Coming to Duke as a shooter, Gary Trent Jr. has struggled to find consistent success with his shot. On the season, he's made just 29.6 percent of his 3-pointers and is shooting 34.9 percent from the floor. Trent is in the midst of a two-game cold streak against Indiana and South Dakota in which he has shot just 5-of-19 from the fllor, including 1-of-9 from beyond the arc.
Heading into conference play, the Blue Devils will need a more consistent Trent to complement Grayson Allen on the perimeter. He's showed flashes, coming up clutch against then-No. 7 Florida with four late free throws and a 3-of-5 outing from three, but needs to bring it on a night-to-night basis for Duke.
Slow Braxton
Saint Francis isn't highly regarded nationally, but they're no pushover—they kept it within striking distance for most of the game against then-No. 22 Saint Mary's to open their season and lost by just 12 to then-No. 19 Louisville.
When the Red Flash has found success, it's been on the back of Braxton, its leading scorer. Braxton dropped 15 points on 10-of-18 shooting against the Cardinals, and will need to be held in check from beyond the arc—he's shot 43.5 percent from three on the season. The 6-foot-4 guard also been a force on the boards—he's grabbed 7.9 per game in addition to his 16.4 points per game.
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Managing Editor 2018-19, 2019-2020 Features & Investigations Editor
A member of the class of 2020 hailing from San Mateo, Calif., Ben is The Chronicle's Towerview Editor and Investigations Editor. Outside of the Chronicle, he is a public policy major working towards a journalism certificate, has interned at the Tampa Bay Times and NBC News and frequents Pitchforks.