Duke has their first big ACC road test today against the 11-2 SMU Mustangs in Dallas. The Mustangs and Blue Devils are riding 7 game win streaks and come into the game with mirror11-2 records. Both sit atop the ACC standings along with Clemson and Pittsburgh. The winner Saturday can position themselves for a run at the ACC Regular Season title.
SMU’s Moody Center is sold out and the students will don “Moody Magic” shirts for game day. Despite the identical records, Duke’s schedule has been substantially harder with games against Kentucky, Arizona, Auburn and Kansas. SMU’s schedule boasts wins against LSU and Tarleton State.
SMU’s roster looks the opposite of Duke’s, composed of 12 upperclassmen, including Wake transfer Boopie Miller who averages 15 points per game. SMU will look to lean on their experienced roster and ruckus environment to pull the upset on the ACC-leading Blue Devils
The Mustangs are averaging 87 points per game which is the 12th best clip in the nation. They take their potent offense into a game against the stout Duke D which is giving up less than 60 points per game.
Key Points for SMU:
- Take advantage of Duke’s pension for slow starts: build a lead
- Lean on Experience- Boopie has played Duke multiple times and the squad is loaded with experienced players who have played in big time games
- Keep the Moody Magic- Keeps the fans involved and loud. Make the most of the home court advantage
Duke is riding a hot streak coming into the showdown in Dallas. The one thing Duke needs to avoid is another slow start. The major flaw in the Blue Devils season is their inability to make shots early. Duke has dug themselves into deep holes in games against Kentucky, Kansas, Auburn, and Louisville while only able to rebound to a victory in two of those matchups.
Potential number one overall pick, Cooper Flag, looks to keep his hot form against the Mustangs Saturday afternoon. Flagg leads the Blue Devils in points per game, rebounds per game, and assists per game at 16.9, 8.2, and 3.7 respectively.
Key Points for Duke:
- A Kon Knueppel breakthrough to be a consistent threat with the ball opposite Flagg
- The defense of Malik Brown to be a problem for the Mustangs and cause disruptions
- Proctor and Maluach recreating the Proctor-Lively lob magic
- If the Devils can begin to make these points happen, scary Duke could make an appearance.
Right now, Duke is ranked #2 by KenPom, 3 in the Net, and #4 in the AP. SMU is #44 in KenPom, #32 in the NET, and not ranked nationally. The Devils are projected one seed in the NCAA tournament and SMU is touted by Joe Linardi as one of the last four teams in the field in his latest Bracketology predictions. Both teams can check off the coveted Quad 1 win, which is especially crucial for the Mustangs in their quest to make the field of 68.
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