Duke Basketball: Keys and storylines for road matchup at Boston College

Coach K

It’s hard to say what Duke should do when playing Boston College.  They are a far superior team and if they just be themselves, they should win this game handily.  That doesn’t discount the Eagles, which just states the facts and talent and results speak louder than I ever could.

One advantage Duke has is Coach K on the sideline and with his performance against his good friend and competitor, Jim Boeheim, he proved his mettle.  I’ll think twice before I question him again or try and decipher what he is doing in the picture above.

As a basketball writer, I look at how Duke has attacked the 2-3 zone in recent years and try to see what players fit what they have done in the past.  The problem is that Duke has such roster turnover that it makes the comparisons difficult.

Last year, Coach K ripped apart the zone with Zion and RJ in the middle.  They were both strong playmakers who could drive to the basket or pass out to shooters.  Duke doesn’t really have those comparable players.  Moore and Cassius Stanley are closest but not at the level of passer or playmaker that either RJ or Zion were.

The year before, Wendell Carter played in the middle and even some Grayson Allen.  Surely Coach K would put Hurt or Carey in there at times to run the offense through them as he has done in years past out of the middle against the zone.

Nope.  There were maybe three or four plays that were directed out of the middle.  Coach K spread his guards and wings on the perimeter and kept posting Carey on the mid to high block.  Duke swung the ball around and would throw entry passes from the wings rather than the middle.

Carey was able to get relatively clean catches and make his moves before the doubles got established to stop him.  The Cuse’s back row wing defenders had to spread out and guard against the three and by the time they got there, they didn’t have the position or physical strength to affect the play.

The middle being left open also allowed for Tre Jones’ drives and probes and he went to the free-throw line a season-high ten times because of it.  It was brilliant tactically and a total change from the way Duke has attacked the zone for years under different teams.

So much for knowing what Coach K was thinking although he does have a few years on me.  Even his turn to Alex O’Connell, who has barely played lately, based on his success at the Carrier Dome last year.  That paid off as well with O’Connell having his best game since early in the season.

Duke needs to be Duke and approach the last month before the tournaments start as a chance to further hone their play.  Turnovers remain a problem but Coach K remains an unparalleled X factor.  If this team can play to its potential and Coach K continues to wow us with his acumen on the sideline, Duke may have the highest ceiling of any team in the field and we all know where that can lead come the first week of April.