The Nation’s 7th ranked team – the Blue Devils of Duke – invade the Comcast Center tomorrow night.
This will be the first match-up of Duke, and Maryland since the Devils beat the Terps by 41 pts in Durham, on January 24th.
That game was so one-sided, that there are limited things to take from that game.
Duke won the battle on the glass, 52 to 29
Duke hit 12 three-pointers
Duke held MD to 28% from the floor
Duke got to the line 19 times, and MD was only 6 for 12 from the charity-stripe
MD had 17 turnovers
Duke had 12 blocked shots, and 11 steals
Duke deserved to win by 40, and MD deserved to lose by 40.
That is not going to happen again tomorrow night.
Duke inserted Elliot Williams, into the starting line-up last week over Nolan Smith – and it has provided a lift to Duke.
This is a far drop for Smith, who came into the season being regarded as one of the best PG’s in the country.
The Blue Devils have some size – Singler, Thomas, Plumlee, and Zoubek – that could bother MD.
Gerald Henerdson has raised his game this season, improving his shooting across the board. The athletic wing, will make money at the next-level and it will be interesting to see who MD chooses to defend him.
Perhaps Mosley… Perhaps Tucker (who blanketed Ellington in the 2nd-half Sunday)?
With Duke’s Sunday Night emotional home-win vs Wake Forest, the Devils improved to 22-5 overall, and 8-4 in the ACC.
The Terps – coming off their own, obvious emotional home win – are 17-9, and 6-6 in the ACC.
With 4 regular season games left, the Terrapins are in-need of at least 2 wins, to have a legitimate chance at an at-large bid for the NCAAT.
Duke is a Top 10 team, with a HOF Head Coach… have won 3 in a row vs MD, including the aforementioned January beating.
Saying this is a tough match-up, goes without saying.
If the game slows to more of a 1/2 court game, with Scheyer and Paulus draining 3’s… it will be a very tough match-up for MD.
If the game is played in transition, and MD’s guards and wings can score in the paint…. MD can be in this game.
After losing by 41 in the previous game, it is hard to call for the out-right win…. But at the Comcast Center, my expectation is that MD will play with a lot of pride tomorrow night, and have every opportunity to win.
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.