No. 8 Duke men's basketball is looking to bounce back after a tough road loss against Wake Forest. The Blue Zone is here with three keys to victory for the Blue Devils:
Cooling off Clark
Louisville’s Skyy Clark has had a breakout few weeks, averaging 17.3 points per game in his past three games, as opposed to 7.7 in the three games prior. In the Cardinals’ most recent matchup against Notre Dame, Clark had a season-high eight rebounds, and went 7-of-8 for field goals and 4-of-4 from behind the 3-point line. It is likely that he will continue this hot streak and have yet another prominent impact on Louisville's game against the Blue Devils this Wednesday.
It is important for Duke to stay alert and engaged against the Cardinals despite the difference in their ACC rankings. As evident with Hunter Sallis’ whopping 29 points for Wake Forest against the Blue Devils on Saturday, one player can play a pivotal role in the outcome of a game. Containing Skyy Clark could aid in a Blue Devil win this Wednesday.
Minimizing turnovers
Duke fell to Wake Forest last Saturday in a tight match with a difference of four points. However, 14 of the Demon Deacons’ 83 points were off of turnovers by the Blue Devils. With an opportunity to tie the game in the final seconds, sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor turned the ball over, solidifying the result and contributing to Duke’s 11 turnovers. Looking forward to the upcoming matchup against Louisville and the rest of the season as we near March, it is crucial for the Blue Devils to lower their turnovers in big moments.
On the other side of the court, the Cardinals are currently averaging 12.8 turnovers per game. Taking advantage of these key transition moments could aid in a return of Duke’s winning streak following the upset against Wake Forest.
Consistent 3’s
Freshman guard Jared McCain reached a major milestone last week against Florida State, tying Duke’s freshman scoring high of 35 points in one game — a threshold reached by Zion Williamson in 2019. In this matchup against the Seminoles, McCain’s success was greatly due to his excellent 3-point percentage, as he went 8-of-11 from behind the arc. Throughout this season, McCain has had an average 3-point percentage of 41.1%. His ability to accurately shoot 3-pointers wins games for the Blue Devils when done consistently.
With three players shooting 3-pointers with an accuracy of 40%, it is clear why Duke is a highly ranked team that has a significant winning record. Continuing to take advantage of these players’ abilities is key to coming away with a win this week. In addition, the Blue Devils have been great at defending the arc, but did not do as great of a job against the Demon Deacons.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.