Key Three: Will the Blue Devils get hot from beyond the arc?

This weekend, Duke heads to Maui for the Jim Maui Invitational with its first matchup against San Diego State next Monday. The Blue Zone breaks down three potential keys to victory for the Duke squad:

Convert from beyond the arc 

After draining 12 three-pointers against No. 2 Kentucky, and 15 against Army in the home-opener, Duke could not find the basket in Wednesday’s dominant victory against Eastern Michigan. The Blue Devils made just 21 percent of their 24 attempts from the perimeter as freshmen Cam Reddish and R.J. Barrett combined to hit just 1-of-8 shots from range. With a pair of top-10 matchups potentially looming, Duke will need to get back to form from the perimeter as the Blue Devils’ ability to dominate the interior will be less extreme against the veteran size of Auburn and Gonzaga. 

Take care of the ball 

While head coach Mike Krzyzewski expects this year’s squad to eventually be an elite defensive unit—and the team has shown that potential in the half-court set—Duke has shown vulnerabilities in transition. Against Army three consecutive costly turnovers allowed the Black Knights to cut deep into the Blue Devil lead, and the better shooting teams Duke will face are more likely to convert off those opportunities. The Blue Devils need to play closer to the selflessness we saw against Kentucky when they committed just four turnovers in the contest, and limit the number of behind-the-back dribbles on offense. 

Stay out of foul trouble 

This was more of an issue for the Blue Devils in the Champions Classic with Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish and Javin DeLaurier all finding themselves in early foul trouble, but against high-quality opponents making smart decisions is especially important. Without Williamson, Duke’s offense went cold and Kentucky made a dent in the Blue Devils’ 20-point lead. Being the No. 1 team in the country and playing against two programs desperate to prove that they belong, the Blue Devils can ill afford to put anyone other than their best on the court next week.