Duke Basketball: 5 questions for Blue Devils against NC State

Can Duke hold NC State under 70 points?

NC State averages over 80 ppg, good for top-50 in the country. Duke’s defense has been lackluster at best, giving up 75 ppg, which is ranked in the 200s. Out of 14 games played, half of Duke’s opponents reached the 80-point mark. That includes teams like Portland State and South Dakota as well.

The defense just isn’t good enough for the Blue Devils to win a national title at this point. There are also only a few options to change things, with Javin DeLaurier as the only plus defender on the bench. Grayson Allen is a good defender in his own right, but struggles against bigger guards and athletic wings.

To some degree, games involving the Blue Devils will always be high scoring due to the pace they play. It’s similar to the UCLA Bruins from a year ago, whose gameplan primarily was to outscore their opponents.

But in a single elimination tournament such as the Big Dance, where one bad game can send you home, Duke has to be able to play better defense. Until their game against the Tar Heels in February, the next nine games are against teams that aren’t prolific offensively. Now is a good time to start playing better on the other side of the court.