Duke Faces A Quick Turn Around As They Travel To Blacksburg For A Big Monday Matchup With Virginia Tech
After their game against Syracuse on Saturday in Durham where they collected their fifth straight win Duke will be back on the court facing an opponent they dominated just twelve days ago in Durham as they visit Blacksburg where they will take on Virginia Tech who is led by head coach Buzz Williams.
Duke comes into their game with Virginia Tech with a record of 24-5 and 12-4 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. "according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/standings/_/group/2 and as stated above is coming off a win over Syracuse Saturday night.
No. 5 Duke and Syracuse spent much of Saturday night confounding each other's outside shooters with their zone defenses. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
The key difference: The Blue Devils could pound the ball inside to Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
Bagley had 19 points in his return from a sprained knee, Carter added 16 points and 10 rebounds and Duke beat Syracuse 60-44 for its fifth straight win."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
"We just try to play off of each other," Bagley said. "We've got this thing rolling now, and they've had it rolling for the last four games. We're all back, and we're ready to continue to finish out this season.""according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
Running a zone defense -- a development that in the past might have been anathema to man-to-man disciple Mike Krzyzewski -- the Blue Devils (24-5, 12-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) forced 17 turnovers and the Orange matched their season-low scoring total, set Feb. 3 in a loss to No. 1 Virginia."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
"I don't think that Coach K should really be allowed to play zone," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim joked."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
Duke pulled away down the stretch after leaning hard on the two freshman big men in a game in which the guards on both teams struggled with their shots from the perimeter against their dueling zone defenses. The teams combined to miss their first 23 3-pointers."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
"We didn't let what we couldn't do on the offensive end affect what we did on the defensive end," Krzyzewski said."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
Bagley, the ACC's leading scorer (21.2 ppg) and rebounder (11.4 rpg), missed four games after injuring his right knee in a loss at North Carolina on Feb. 8."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
Tyus Battle, who ranks third in the league with an average of 20.1 points per game, scored 12 while Frank Howard added 11 and Paschal Chukwu had 12 rebounds. The Orange (18-11, 7-9) lost their third in four games."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
BIG PICTURE
Syracuse: The Orange's best chance to win this one was to gum up the works and hope for an off shooting night by the Blue Devils. For a while, it looked as though it just might work -- Syracuse never fell behind by more than a dozen until the final seven minutes. The Orange's scoring struggles of their own prevented them from earning a resume-building victory and will keep them as the very definition of a bubble team. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
Duke: If nothing else, the Blue Devils proved they can scratch out a win. The nation's third-most productive offense, which entered averaging 87.2 points, was held way below that, and the Blue Devils didn't make a 3-pointer until Trevon Duval finally connected with about 7 1/2 minutes to play. Of course, it helped to have Bagley back for the first time in two weeks."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
KEY TREND
The Blue Devils have held four straight opponents under 57 points. This was the second-fewest points allowed this season by Duke, which limited Evansville to 40 in December."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
STAR WATCH
Just how dominant were Duke's two big men? Bagley and Carter combined to score 14 of the Blue Devils' 15 points during a 13-minute stretch of the first half. Bagley was the only Duke player to hit a field goal during a span of 9 1/2 minutes. His dunk with about five seconds left in the half put Duke up 27-16 -- its largest lead to that point."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
STAT SHEET
Both teams were 0 for 10 from 3-point range at halftime, and Syracuse's Oshae Brissett snapped the string of 23 straight misses by finally hitting one with about 15:15 to play. Duke missed its first 15 3s and its decades-long streak of consecutive games with a 3 was in jeopardy before Duval made one from above the top of the key. That extended the nation's fourth-longest streak to 1,013 games."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=211702385&DB_OEM_ID=4200
Virginia Tech comes into their game with Duke with a record of 20-9 and 9-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference "according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/standings/_/group/2 after their loss at home to Louisville on Saturday.
Virginia Tech lost to Louisville, 75-68, in ACC men’s basketball Saturday afternoon in Cassell Coliseum. With the loss, Tech drops to 20-9 overall and 9-7 in league play and the Cardinals improve to 19-10 overall and 9-7 in ACC action."according to http://www.hokiesports.com/mbasketball/recaps/20180224aaa.html
The teams each made runs in the first half and when Justin Robinson made a two-pointer at the buzzer, the teams entered the locker rooms knotted at 34-34. The two squads kept it close throughout the first 17 minutes of the second half, with neither team taking more than a four-point advantage. Darius Perry made a three-pointer with 2:22 remaining to give the Cardinals a 68-61 lead, which Tech could not overcome. Free throws stretched the UofL lead to nine points in the final seconds before Robinson scored on a lay-up with three seconds remaining to set the final at 75-68. "according to http://www.hokiesports.com/mbasketball/recaps/20180224aaa.html
Tech outshot the Cardinals from the field, 44.1 percent to 42.9 percent, but the Cardinals held a 44-27 advantage on the glass, including 13 offensive rebounds. Louisville made three of four three-pointers in the final six minutes and finished the game 12 of 27 from beyond the arc."according to http://www.hokiesports.com/mbasketball/recaps/20180224aaa.html
“I would say for sure, three of the last six were late clock shots,” head coach Buzz Williams said about the late hot streak from three-point range for Louisville. “They were big shots. I thought that was the difference. We did a really good job defensively; we just didn’t finish the possession with a rebound enough. They shot 42 percent from the field, which includes their second chance points, which I would say they shot 80 percent. If you look at it from a football perspective, the time of possession specific to that would play a part. 21 percent of the time we forced them into a turnover. That’s great for a team as good as they are. We shot more balls than they did. We just couldn’t finish with a rebound.” "according to http://www.hokiesports.com/mbasketball/recaps/20180224aaa.html
Robinson led the Hokies with 16 points and Kerry Blackshear Jr., added 14 points. Justin Bibbs scored 11 points, pushing his career total to 1,402 career points."according to http://www.hokiesports.com/mbasketball/recaps/20180224aaa.html
Game Notes
The Hokies wore special pink uniforms for Breast Cancer Awareness."according to http://www.hokiesports.com/mbasketball/recaps/20180224aaa.html
The Hokies’ bench outscored Louisville’s 24-12 and Tech held a 38-16 advantage in the paint."according to http://www.hokiesports.com/mbasketball/recaps/20180224aaa.html
Tech forced the Cardinals into 15 turnovers, while committing just eight turnovers. Tech held an 18-3 advantage in points off turnovers."according to http://www.hokiesports.com/mbasketball/recaps/20180224aaa.html
Ahmed Hill scored nine points and now has exactly 1,000 career points, making him the 46th Hokie all-time to reach the 1,000 career point plateau. Robinson is now just three points shy of the mark."according to http://www.hokiesports.com/mbasketball/recaps/20180224aaa.html
Monday night’s game will be Senior Night, as the Hokies recognize seniors Devin Wilson and Justin Bibbs. "according to http://www.hokiesports.com/mbasketball/recaps/20180224aaa.html
Tip-off is set for 7:00pm from Cassell Coliseum. The game will be televised on ESPN. "according to http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=4200&SPID=1845&SPSID=22726