Duke vs Pittsburgh: 5 biggest storylines for 2019-20 ACC matchup

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - MARCH 02: Head coach Jeff Capel of the Pittsburgh Panthers calls to his team as Sidy N'Dir #11 runs up the court in the first half during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on March 2, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

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LOUISVILLE, KY – JANUARY 26: Head coach Jeff Capel of the Pittsburgh Panthers (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Interior Play

Pittsburgh is a guard-oriented team. They only have two big men that play over nine minutes a game and between them, they average 10.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Vernon Carey alone averages 16.9 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.

The Panthers do have a solid defensive big in Terrell Brown who averages 1.9 blocks a contest but he also gives up almost forty pounds to Carey. Pitt is also the 221st ranked team in rebounding margin while Duke sits as the 19th best team in the country, corralling seven more than their opponents.

Pitt is also the 317th ranked team in defensive rebounds per game while Duke is 11th in offensive rebounding per game. On the surface, this looks to be a major advantage for the Blue Devils, but Pittsburgh does some things to limit their deficiencies in this area.

The Panthers have the 29th ranked scoring defense in the country. They also average almost eight steals a game and play deliberately on offense, running clock and maximizing possessions.

This will be imperative for Pitt to play well. They need to apply ball pressure on Duke and deny entry passes. Duke has struggled in this area and is a below-average team when it comes to turning the ball over, especially on entry passes to Vernon Carey.

Pittsburgh will also have to make a certified commitment to boxing out and rebounding the ball and may need their guards to help out in this area. They will also need to limit Duke’s possessions and try to attack Carey when they are on offense to get him in foul trouble.

This may be easier said than done since they are lacking a serious offensive weapon in any of their bigs. That brings us to the next key for Pittsburgh:

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