Even coming off a critical road test, there’s little chance No. 2 Duke will overlook its next opponent.
The Blue Devils have Monday night’s home assignment against North Carolina State in Durham, N.C.
Duke (17-2, 9-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won 13 consecutive games, with none tougher than pulling out Saturday’s 63-56 victory at Wake Forest.
“I think it’s just huge that we could get a win and find a way without having our best stuff,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said.
NC State (9-10, 2-6) has hit a rough patch, losing four consecutive games.
Duke is bound to be anxiously waiting to pounce on the Wolfpack, who might not be facing the Blue Devils at an ideal time.
“I think they’re a really good team,” NC State guard Jayden Taylor said. “They have a standard they play at. I think they’re going to give us a good fight.”
Last March, NC State pulled off two upsets of the Blue Devils, winning an ACC tournament quarterfinal and later ousting Duke in the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight round to earn a spot in the Final Four.
While Duke has had a roster overhaul since those meetings, it still might appear like a revenge game for the staff and fans.
Duke freshman Cooper Flagg will face NC State for the first time. Coming off a 24-point performance, he has 10 games with 20 or more points this season. He’s averaging 23 points per game in ACC play.
Against the Demon Deacons, Duke trailed in the second half of a game for the first time since Dec. 8.
“We haven’t been in a ton of those positions throughout this year,” Flagg said. “I thought it was a big opportunity for us to show that we can stay composed. And even when a team makes a run, just stay level-headed.”
The Blue Devils showed willingness to alter the game plan after Wake Forest dominated the first 10 minutes of the second half, turning to a zone defense.
“We’ve played it one possession all year,” Scheyer said. “But we’ve kept it in our back pocket just in case. It’s good to have a curveball.”
Still, by the end Duke was left with a season-low point total, its worst points per possession (0.93) of the season and its lowest field-goal percentage (36.8).
“I think it was a really important step for us, with our toughness,” Scheyer said. “Hopefully, it’s something where we can carry that momentum forward.”
NC State’s slide continued Saturday with a 63-57 home loss to SMU.
“Eventually, as we keep working and putting the work in, we think our offense will catch up with our defense as far as making shots,” Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts said. “If that happens, then we’re going to be OK. But we’ve got to figure out how to score.”
Freshman guard Paul McNeil provided the Wolfpack with a season-best eight points Saturday. McNeil is an in-state product who’s cognizant of the NC State-Duke rivalry.
“We got a big game coming up ahead of us,” he said. “We’re going to practice. We’re going to stay focused. We’re going to watch film and do what we got to do.”
Marcus Hill leads the Wolfpack with 13.2 points per game, and Taylor isn’t far behind at 12.7.
–Field Level Media
