Three points: Limiting turnovers, post presence essential for Duke men’s basketball against North Carolina

On Saturday, Duke finishes its common season with a visit to Chapel Hill in a matchup in opposition to North Carolina. The Blue Zone is right here with three keys to a Blue Satan win: 

Handle the ball  

A serious element of Duke’s latest success has been its capability to restrict turnovers. In back-to-back losses to Miami and Virginia Feb. 6 and Feb. 11, the Blue Devils turned the ball over 21 and 22 occasions, respectively. Since then, the workforce has had lower than 10 giveaways in three of its 5 video games. Nonetheless, all three of those video games got here at dwelling, the place the Blue Devils had the help of their followers. In Saturday’s sport on the Dean Dome, the hostile crowd will issue into the turnover equation. Inevitably, Duke will make errors on account of the raucous surroundings, and it is going to be as much as guards Tyrese Proctor and Jeremy Roach to refocus the offense. Whereas Proctor has taken management of the purpose, slowing down the sport could play extra to the strengths of Roach, whose prowess within the pick-and-roll proved important within the Feb. 4 matchup in opposition to North Carolina. In that sport, Roach had the ball in his arms for many of its last minutes, scoring the sport’s last 4 factors. When the Blue Devils get knocked down or want somebody to make a play, search for the captain to take over. 

Disruptive protection 

Duke has held its opponents to a median of simply 64 factors on 41.2% taking pictures this season, and the 57 factors North Carolina scored in its February loss at Cameron Indoor was its lowest scoring whole of the season. This was largely as a result of Blue Devils limiting the Tar Heels to only 7-of-27 from three and middle Dereck Full of life II totaling eight blocks. The freshman was the standout participant of the sport, outbattling senior middle Armando Bacot within the publish and dissuading any North Carolina participant from driving into the paint. If Full of life repeats this efficiency, the Tar Heels must depend on the play of their perimeter threats. Whereas North Carolina is taking pictures simply 31.2% from three this season, ought to shooters Caleb Love or RJ Davis get scorching from deep, the workforce can go on a run shortly. Subsequently, if Duke hopes to comb the season sequence in opposition to the Tar Heels for the primary time since 2019-20, it should be sure that neither participant will get snug offensively. 

End robust  

On the opposite facet of the ball, battling via contact and attending to the free-throw line are important for Duke’s success. Final time round, the Blue Devils made 11 free throws to North Carolina’s two. In a six-point contest, this made all of the distinction. As well as, because the Tar Heels solely have eight gamers averaging at the very least 10 minutes per sport, getting key gamers into foul bother would utterly disrupt their sport plan. 

Ending robust additionally refers to Duke’s season total. With ACC event seeding nonetheless up within the air, Saturday’s matchup in opposition to North Carolina is paramount to Duke’s playoff hopes. A win would give the workforce a large momentum increase forward of the postseason, whereas a loss would injury the opportunity of a double-bye. On the flip facet, the Tar Heels have much more to play for. At the moment sitting on the bubble, a loss would doubtless bump them out of the NCAA event, barring a convention event win. So, whereas neither workforce is ranked for the second time this season within the Tobacco Highway Rivalry, the matchup holds each groups’ fates in its grasp. If the Blue Devils hope to finish their season on a excessive be aware, they might want to experience their present scorching streak into Chapel Hill and shut the e-book on North Carolina’s season in enemy territory.