The Duke Blue Devils got here near their first common season title since 2010 with a 65-61 win over Virginia on Wednesday evening, and so they additionally stayed in place for what would, astonishingly, be their first direct ACC common season title for the reason that 2005-06 staff earned that distinction. . Mike Krzyzewski & Co (24-4, 14-3) completes a sport earlier than second-placed Notre Dame (20-8, 13-4) heading into Saturday’s Sonic Blockbuster sport at Syracuse Orange (6 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN app).
What’s going to the ACC title say about this Duke staff? The 2010 Blue Devils went on to win a Nationwide Championship, however the aforementioned 2006 group upset LSU at Candy 16, so what ought to we take from him – if something – if Duke finishes the job and wins the common season swag? In the meantime, Syracuse (15-13, 9-8) might be seeking to enhance its convention rankings—and keep away from going through Duke within the quarterfinals—for its finest shot within the NCAA Championship.
The ESPN professional group of Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello, John Gasaway and Joe Lunardi has in contrast this season’s unit to the good Duke groups of the previous, with Syracuse additionally rising its probabilities of overcoming the discomfort and staying sizzling within the ACC Championship in Brooklyn. of weeks time.
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Duke ahead Wendell Moore Jr. recovers a half-court go to AJ Griffin for a one-handed dunk.
Which Duke staff from years previous do you want probably the most? What does this similarity say in regards to the 2023-22 staff’s potential to conduct the NCAA Championship?
Medcalf: Effectively, it would not be enjoyable if we did not attempt to make this comparability. What in regards to the 2009-10 nationwide championship staff? (“Myron, that is a horrible comparability.” I do know, Borzello. I do know.) However hear me out. Paulo Banchero & Co. would not actually play like all staff from Duke’s previous. However the dimension within the lineup makes me consider that group in 2010 that beat Butler within the nationwide title sport when Gordon Hayward’s shot hit the sting.
This staff had a 6-foot-5 level guard in John Scheer. Nolan Smith (6-2) can play each guard positions. Lance Thomas (6-8) was a handful within the little striker. Kyle Singler – we’re not giving Singler the credit score he deserves in that spherical – was the 6-8 shooter who made 40% of his 3-point makes an attempt that season. Brian Zubek (7-1), Mason Plumley (6-10) and Miles Plumley (6-8) have been main paint contributors. Singler, Smith and the Plumlee brothers have been all NBA picks.
This season, Coach Ok can go together with Wendell Moore Jr. , (6-5), Trevor Keels (6-4 and constructed like an NFL quarterback), AJ Griffin (6-6), Banchero (6-10) and Mark Williams (7-0). The Duke squad that beat Butler had a transparent dimension benefit within the title sport. Duke’s present mixture of dimension, talent, and bodily potential additionally permits him to create mismatches at each place. This group is extra gifted than the 2010 staff, so I can undoubtedly see at this time’s Blue Devils utilizing their dimension benefit far and wide—keep in mind the 2010 staff had expertise within the NBA too—to tour the NCAA Championship.
Borzello: I do not actually assume it resembles any earlier staff carefully, however I feel one of many primary tenets of the Blue Devils this 12 months is their effectiveness with out a guard put up on the bottom. Coach Ok moved Jeremy Roach to the bench and introduced Griffin into the beginning line-up, leaving a lot of the playmaking duties to the bigger Moore and Keels gamers. Duke’s 2016 and 2017 groups had Grayson Allen – a greater scorer off the go – taking over a variety of distribution duties. These groups have been additionally good, not nice, from the 3-point vary (particularly the 2017 staff). In addition they had Brandon Ingram and Jason Tatum as nightmare-type scorers, when you’re making an attempt to think about a Banchero parallel.
However the 2023 version is best, and I feel this staff has a a lot greater ceiling than each groups, as neither of them has crossed the Candy 16. The Blue Devils 2023 are the authentic contenders for the Nationwide Championship.
Gasaway: Fellow Spherical Desk members, cease it! We have a diabolically intelligent query. This group is not like any Duke staff from years previous, with one categorical exception. The present staff is younger once more and brimming with expertise headed for the NBA. Apart from that, Coach Ok introduced a brand new twist to the farewell season.
When the Blue Devils play “anticipated to go within the first 35 picks” (Banchero, Griffin, Williams, Kells, Moore), opponents face 4 scorers lined up round a probably game-changing blocker who likes to dunk. We have by no means seen something like this earlier than in Cameron. Duke hasn’t had an edge defender with the same mass ratio who performed a number of minutes like Williams since one other Williams – Shelden. That was so way back, the following coach was too younger (barely) to play with this man.
Lonardi: It is laborious to match, if solely as a result of recently Duke hasn’t performed such a comfortable sport. This limits each the challenges and alternatives for the present Blue Devils.
Out of my head, I would say the 2017-18 squad constructed round new striker Marvin Bagley has some apparent similarities. That Duke squad may need been a greater half of the category than the present group – they completed 4 video games behind the UMBC-disappointed Virginia aspect, however in a league of eight bids – and but it was what I assumed could be the identical destiny as coach hurray previous Ok.
The 2018 Blue Devils blew by the primary two NCAA rounds, then simply bought to Syracuse earlier than dropping in additional time to Kansas within the Elite Eight. I feel the present Blue Devils fall across the identical time, possibly even a spherical earlier than that.
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Cole Swider, Joseph Girard III and Buddy Boeheim all get a bit of the motion within the first inning with triple tokens.
What’s the components for Syracuse’s wrath of the Blue Devils on Saturday evening on the Provider Dome? Would you give the Orange staff any likelihood of collaborating within the ACC Championship in Brooklyn?
Medcalf: The components consists of Buddy Boeheim’s intelligent, balanced versus sized shooter Buddy Boeheim. Syracuse is 3-4 at ACC Video games once they rating 20 or extra. Syracuse is 4-6 in ACC play when making an attempt 9 or extra 3 seconds. He completed 1 for 10 in final month’s loss to Duke, then went 4 for 15 of three in Syracuse’s subsequent sport: a loss to Pete. Sure, he is a very powerful offensive participant on that staff by a mile.
However when he will get into the place of Carmelo Anthony within the 2000s, he places the rating within the fingers of a participant who solely hit 34% of three in league play. In the meantime, Joe Gerrard has been strong in latest weeks and Boeheim ought to assist him get extra concerned on this match.
Nevertheless, I do not assume this unstable staff goes to undergo a deep run within the ACC Championship. They play a variety of high-risk assaults, and this is likely one of the worst defensive items Boeheim has coached.
Medcalf rating prediction: Duke 84, Syracuse 69
Borzello: Jim Boeheim has confronted Mike Krzyzewski and Duke a number of occasions all through his lengthy and packed coaching profession, so he’ll know precisely tips on how to defeat the Blue Devils. However he knew tips on how to beat Duke final month as nicely, and the Orange nonetheless shot 5 for 29 of three, allowed 14 3 and misplaced by 20. So it will likely be about whether or not guys like Buddy Boehme, Cole Soeder and Gerrard make the pictures. In addition they need to maintain Banchero and Williams away from the attacking glass; Duke is the ACC’s finest offensive rebounding staff, and Zone 2-3 is thought to be liable to second likelihood possibilities.
I don’t count on a traditional improve in March from Syracuse. The Orange staff completed the season with dwelling matches in opposition to Duke and Miami, trapped round a visit to North Carolina, so they’re unlikely to enter the ACC Championship with a variety of momentum. Understand that they’re at the moment ranked eighth within the Convention Event and are because of face Duke within the quarterfinals, which I do not assume is within the playing cards.
Borzello’s rating prediction: Duke 77, Syracuse 71
Gasaway: Description 3 seconds. Syracuse had a three-game out-of-body expertise that spanned January and February when the Boehm squad was the highest offensive within the nation. The Orange’s 94-72 victory over Wake Forest at Provider Dome stays the best offensive sport any staff has scored within the ACC this season. This model of Syracuse is able to beating the Duke, Gonzaga, or almost definitely the Phoenix Suns.
In that sport and in subsequent wins over NC State and Louisville, the orange averaged 11 3s per contest whereas taking pictures 54% from outdoors the arc. That is the recipe. In his pre-match discuss, coach Boeheim ought to ask his staff to do it once more.
Gasaway rating prediction: Duke 81, Syracuse 70
Lonardi: In brief, a variety of buckets from the smaller Boeheims and a little bit of magic from the previous man on the sidelines. That is precisely the form of sport Jim Boeheim has received time and again to place Orange within the NCAA bubble dialog, and I absolutely count on that to occur once more.
However I am additionally certain Coach Ok will get a pleasant reward (simply hope he loves the colour!).
Lonardi rating prediction: Syracuse 75, Duke 70
