Duke Basketball: Keys for Blue Devils to beating Syracuse on the road

3. Boards, boards, boards

The ultimate outcome of the Blue Devils’ trip to Syracuse could center on which team controls the glass. I know this sounds fairly simplistic in nature, but I’ll explain in further detail.

Since Williamson is not competing, I think that Duke will transform into more of a perimeter-shooting crew, rather than packing in the paint. And, because the Blue Devils can struggle from beyond the arc, that will likely mean a lot of shots clang off the rim, which in turn results in long rebounds. The same holds true when the Orange is on offense.

The key difference, though, is that Duke is the top offensive-rebounding group in the ACC. Syracuse is middle of the road in the league. So the Blue Devils, if they pound the boards, will have ample opportunities to garner second-chance points, a vital metric for units like Duke and the Orange when they, invariably, have off-shooting nights. Making matters worse for Syracuse is that, to date in the 2018-19 campaign, it has rebounded poorly on defense.

The dilemma for the Blue Devils is not having Williamson, who currently sits at No. 3 in the conference as far as rebounding goes. Other interior players absolutely have to step in and prevent the Orange from cleaning up on the offensive glass.

Even without Williamson, Duke remains the favorite in this match-up. The Blue Devils want to avoid getting swept in the regular season by an unranked Syracuse program, and Duke is certainly frustrated after recently falling to its arch-rival, UNC.

Emotions will run high at the Dome on Saturday, and the Orange roster will rally behind a grief-stricken Boeheim. The Blue Devils possess more talent than Syracuse, but Duke will have to stay laser-focused as it seeks success.