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Duke Basketball: 3 keys for the Blue Devils against Texas Tech

DURHAM, NC - NOVEMBER 27: Teammates RJ Barrett #5 and Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils talk during their game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Cameron Indoor Stadium on November 27, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - NOVEMBER 27: Teammates RJ Barrett #5 and Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils talk during their game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Cameron Indoor Stadium on November 27, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images /

2. Prove they can score against a top defense

One big strong point of the Red Raiders has been their team defense. They’re allowing an NCAA-best 51.2 points per game on defense while recording 77.5 points per contest on the offensive end. 6-foot-10 forward Tariq Owens’ paint protection should be on full display. He’s averaging 2.7 blocks per game in 2018-19. Texas Tech’s gritty defense will be tested against a powerful Duke attack.

In their most recent win, Duke doubled up the Princeton Tigers, 101-50 behind a combined 44 points from Barrett and Williamson. Both players were efficient from the field and shot over 80 percent from the free throw line in the victory, but the pressure turns up a few notches with the Red Raiders.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders haven’t allowed more than 67 points all season while the Blue Devils are producing 93.6 points per game (fifth in the nation) with their star freshmen leading the way. As the 12th-ranked team in the nation, there won’t be a lot of back down from the Red Raiders, even if it is their first game against a ranked opponent this season.

It will be interesting to see how the Blue Devils have come along since their last loss. Duke’s one loss this season came by two points at the hands of the Gonzaga Bulldogs, but they’ve grown a lot since then.