Three points: Containing Judah Mintz, battle on the boards key for No. 16 Duke men's basketball against Syracuse

No. 16 Duke men's basketball is back in conference play Tuesday night against Syracuse. The Blue Zone is here with three things to watch in the matchup:

Managing Mintz 

While this Syracuse team might look different with a new head coach in Adrian Autry and multiple transfer portal pickups, the Blue Devils welcome a familiar foe in Judah Mintz. The sophomore guard is fourth in the ACC in scoring, averaging 19.2 points per game. Duke’s ability to contain Mintz’s offensive prowess remains central to earning a home victory against the Orange. The Fort Washington, Md., native continues to illustrate his development and consistency in his sophomore season, putting up a career-high 33 points against both LSU and Colgate. If the Blue Devils are able to pressure Mintz and restrain his offensive efforts, their ACC opponent should prove to be a much lesser threat. 

Capitalizing on the rebound battle

In the Blue Devils’ commanding 106-69 victory against Queens to end the year, 54 of those points came in the paint. While Duke’s 3-point shooting has proven itself to be a wild card, the team has capitalized with its ability to win battles under the rim. The Blue Devils should look to take advantage of Syracuse on the glass, as the team ranks 14th in the ACC in combined opponent rebounds. With leaders like Mark Mitchell and Kyle Filipowski who have the ability to dominate the paint, Duke can secure extra points off the boards. 

New Year, New Season

Tuesday’s contest will be the Blue Devils’ second ACC matchup of the season, following an agonizing road loss against a determined Georgia Tech team. The matchup provides Duke the opportunity to start the new year fresh with its first conference win of the season. Syracuse will enter the game coming off its first ACC victory of the season, in an 81-73 home win against Pittsburgh. The Orange opened conference play with a loss against Virginia, in which Mintz was held to only five points, inhibiting the team from gaining any real rhythm. While Jon Scheyer’s home undefeated streak may have been broken back in November against Arizona, the second year head coach has still yet to lose at home against a conference foe. 

With the new year also comes the return of sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor. Although Proctor received limited playing time in the matchup against Queens, his contributions to the team will prove essential as Duke heads into conference play. The matchup against Syracuse should allow Proctor to fully get back into the rhythm of things.