Duke basketball: 5 questions for the Blue Devils against Wake Forest

Can Duke hold the Demon Deacons to under 70 points?

The problem for Duke in conference play has been the team’s defense, which was nearing the bottom. Giving up 96 points to an NC State team that only scored 58 a few days prior to a depleted Notre Dame team is a big problem.

But the Blue Devils did take a step in the right direction on Wednesday, holding the Pittsburgh Panthers to just 52 total points, as well as 24 at the halfway mark. Now, yes, it came against quite possibly the worst power conference team this season, but any success, especially on the road, can create positive momentum for a very young team.

For this game, the goal at home should be to hold Wake Forest to 70 or under in total scoring. The Demon Deacons average 77.0 ppg, good for 120th in the country. That number has gone down in conference play, with the team putting up 72.0 ppg, right in the middle of the pack of the league.

Duke is going through a stretch in the schedule where Wake Forest is actually the highest scoring team that the team will face until the Tobacco Road showdown with North Carolina in less than a month’s time. This is a good test to see if Duke’s defense has actually improved.