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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DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 21: Joey Baker #13 of the Duke Blue Devils (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Tightening It Up

Yeah, tightening things up doesn’t sound very official or insightful for a college basketball writer to use. I should have some better vernacular to describe the precise deficiencies that Duke possesses and needs to work on, but tightening things up is a good blanket for a lot of what ails the Blue Devils.

The last game, the blow out victory at home over Miami, has no purpose for me or for Duke. Miami is one of the worst teams in the ACC, their best player was playing, but was injured, and their roster has been depleted for various reasons. The Canes have shown the ability to give Duke problems in the recent past, but this year certainly isn’t one them as they don’t match up with Duke particularly well.

If the Blue Devils didn’t destroy them, then there would be cause for concern. We look at Duke’s two losses in the ACC to use as a comparison for where they are on Tuesday night. In those losses; Duke turned the ball over 31 times with only 24 assists, got outrebounded by eight for one the best teams in the country in terms of rebounding margin, and shot only: 43.5% overall, 32% from three and 61% on the free throw line.

Against Louisville, Vernon Carey only had 6 shots and Joey Baker was 1-7 after coming back from injury. Against Clemson, Duke couldn’t stay with their man on man match ups and lost the points in the paint comparison. Sloppy Defense. Terrible entry passes into the post. Over dribbling and not being strong with the ball. Awful free throw shooting and not working the ball on offense for better shot selection.

These were all things Duke was guilty of during that two-game losing streak, but they are all things that can be worked on and tightened up. These areas don’t signify a lack of talent or some missing piece from the roster. They show that Duke’s flaws aren’t fatal and that with practice, effort and a focus on efficiency, the Blue Devils should be able to play games where they don’t contribute heavily to beating themselves.

The last storyline is the connection between these two programs through their generals on the sideline:

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