The Atlantic Coast Conference’s top offensive and defensive teams square off on Saturday afternoon as SMU hosts No. 4 Duke in Dallas.
The Mustangs (11-2, 2-0 ACC) are leading the league in offense with 87.2 points per game. Conversely, the Blue Devils (11-2, 3-0) are the top defensive team by holding opponents to 59.0 points per contest.
That is among the top storylines to watch as these programs face each other for the first time as conference members. The last time these teams met on the hardwood was in the 1988 NCAA Tournament, with Duke recording a 94-79 win over SMU in a second-round matchup.
For Duke, it appears to be hitting its midseason stride going into the new calendar year. The Blue Devils are riding a seven-game winning streak, including a 23-point victory over Virginia Tech on New Year’s Eve.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer is excited about the potential of his team, but he went even further after being asked if he felt the squad had “unlimited potential.”
“I always feel that way,” Scheyer said. “The amount of talent in this room, the amount of selflessness in this room, it makes us feel like we can truly do anything. We’ve been gelling very well. That’s one of the things that I love about this team. It’s fun to play on this team because we know we have talent but, more than anything, we know we play together, and we play for each other — and that’s what makes a special team.”
Cooper Flagg is a special player, of course, as he continues to show why he’s regarded as the top player in the country. He’s averaging 16.9 points per game and 8.2 rebounds for the Blue Devils. Duke’s Kon Knueppel, who is averaging 12.2 points per game, is another player who will pose problems for the Mustangs.
For SMU, this is the type of dream matchup it envisioned when it joined the ACC. The Mustangs haven’t welcomed many programs of Duke’s blue blood stature into Moody Coliseum over the years.
“It’ll be a sold-out crowd and a sold-out arena and be a lot of energy here,” SMU first-year coach Andy Enfield said. “Duke is an exceptional team and they have great players and we have to be ready.”
Enfield said the Duke brand is not something he has to mention to his players.
“It’s no secret that Duke is ranked (fourth) in the nation and they’re a great team,” he said. “They’ve been historically one of the best programs in the country the last 25, 30 years. So, (the players) know that. We don’t need to mention that to them.”
The Mustangs are coming off a 98-82 victory over Longwood on Sunday. Once again, the offense shined, including 24 points by Boopie Miller.
Miller is averaging 15.4 points per game, one of five players on the Mustangs roster averaging double figures. Matt Cross is another player who has found his stride of late, averaging 18.3 points per game his last three games.
“We’ve been shooting the ball well as a team,” Enfield said. “We’re doing our part making shots. We just have to get to that position where we hit the open man at the right time.”
–Field Level Media
