Following by far Duke’s biggest win of the season over #7 Virginia, Duke is set to take on Syracuse in Cameron Indoor. Duke has looked like a different team in the last three games and will hope to continue their excellent play. It will be important for Duke to not get comfortable after their huge win and come out with the same fire and energy they have played with of late.
Just like Duke, Syracuse is a team fighting to get into the NCAA Tournament. Syracuse currently falls under the “Next Four Out” in ESPN’s latest bracketology. Syracuse will be fighting for their tournament life in this one and Duke should expect to see a team that will be laying it all on the line. The Orange are currently 13-6 overall and 7-5 in ACC play. They head into this one winners of three straight after wins over NC State, Boston College, and Notre Dame.
What to watch for
How does Duke respond to quick turn around?
The last time Duke had just one day off between games, it went very poorly. After beating Clemson in what was their best win on the season at that point, Duke followed that up by turning in their worst performance of the season in a loss against Miami. The Clemson-Miami stretch was a Saturday game followed by a Monday game, just like what Duke is facing with this turn around. Hopefully Duke learned their lesson the first time and can avoid another sloppy performance.
Alan Griffin, Buddy Boeheim, Quincy Guerrier
This trio has been steady for Syracuse all season. All three players average exactly 15.2 points per game on the season. Much of the Syracuse offense is generated by these three players. If Duke can hold two of these three in check, Duke would likely be on the inside track to victory.
How can create open looks?
Syracuse has been a strong defensive team this season. They currently have the best three point defense in the ACC, allowing opponents to shoot just 31.2% from beyond the arc on the season. They are stout inside the arc as well. The Orange allow opponents to convert just 41.1% of all field goal attempts, which is the second best mark in the conference.
Duke must avoid putting Syracuse on the free throw line
Syracuse is the 6th best free throw shooting team in the country. On the season, they shoot 79.7% as a team from the charity stripe. Duke must avoid cheap fouls that send Syracuse to the line. Syracuse will make Duke pay if they are able to get into the bonus early.
Attacking the zone
As always, Duke will be facing a steady dose of the 2-3 zone defense against Syracuse. The zone can often represent a challenge to young teams that do not have much experience playing against a zone defense. If there is any shock value early on, Duke will need to overcome that and find a way to effectively attack the zone.