After a thrilling end to Saturday’s contest that saw Cam Reddish sink a game-winning triple with less than one tick left on the clock, Duke will return to the friendly confines of Cameron Indoor Stadium looking to extend its winning streak to 10 games.
Facing off against Syracuse and its vaunted 2-3 zone Monday evening at 7 p.m., Reddish will likely be a focal point on offense for the top-ranked Blue Devils as they attempt to break the zone over the top.
The Orange, whose frontcourt boasts 7-foot-2 Paschal Chukwu and 6-foot-10 Marek Dolezaj, will pack the zone in tight, using their length to clog the paint and suffocate passing lanes. This will force Duke—ranked 218th in the nation in 3-point shooting at 33.1 percent—to hit at a respectable clip to create more space and allow R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson to do what they do best, which is finish around the rim.
“That was a great basketball game, and you’re going to see more in our conference,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said after Saturday’s thriller. “There are just too many good teams. We can have double-digit teams in the NCAA. This is a heck of a conference. It always has been, and this year it’s exceptional.”
Reddish will have to carry the momentum over from the weekend and prove that his primetime performance was not a fluke. If the 6-foot-8 wing can string together another good game and overcome a shooting slump that saw him shoot 18.4 percent from deep from Dec. 2 until Saturday, the Blue Devils (14-1, 3-0 in the ACC) should have little problem carving up the zone.
But, if the three ball is not falling for Reddish or Jack White—who has made just one deep ball in the last two games—Duke will have to turn to Barrett or Williamson in the middle of the zone. Williamson missed the second half of Saturday’s game after getting inadvertently poked in the eye. Krzyzewski said Williamson was dealing with double vision, but was hopeful the freshman will take the court Monday. Barrett had a sensational performance in his absence, scoring 32 points on 19 shots.
“[R.J. and Cam] don’t have anything to prove. They have to win. They’re both really good—they don’t have to prove to anybody that they’re good,” Krzyzewski said of their performances without Williamson on the floor. “Prove is not the word. They rose. They rose to a different occasion, an occasion we haven’t been in yet this year.”
Barrett or Williamson will likely be posted up around the free-throw line in one of the gaps in the zone, where point guard Tre Jones will try to make entry passes. From there, they will have to decide between taking a midrange jumper, attacking the rim or kicking the ball back out. Although such play requires a high basketball IQ, both freshmen have proven they are strong decision-makers and have done a better job of taking care of the ball as the season has progressed.
On the defensive side, the Blue Devils were torched by Seminole lobs, missing Williamson’s presence inside. With Syracuse (11-5, 2-1 in the ACC) struggling mightily from deep—shooting 29.6 percent on the season—the Orange will try to get looks inside for their big men. Javin DeLaurier and Marques Bolden will need to be disciplined with sliding back to their assignment after helping following dribble penetration in order to prevent easy baskets.
Syracuse returns all five starters from last season and is led by Tyus Battle and Oshae Brissett on the offensive end. Battle played 39 minutes per game last year and carried the offense on his back. This year, the Orange boast depth and a balanced scoring attack throughout the lineup. Although they have been inefficient this season—as exhibited in a putrid 59-point showing in a home loss against Georgia Tech Saturday—Syracuse has beaten solid teams this year, including then-No. 16 Ohio State, Georgetown and Notre Dame, scoring 72 points in each of those victories.
Following the matchup against the Orange, Duke will host No. 4 Virginia in a marquee battle Saturday at 6 p.m.
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