Duke’s offense is receiving rave reviews at times, but the fourth-ranked Blue Devils have been a well-rounded operation for much of the season.
So when Notre Dame visits Durham, N.C., for Saturday afternoon’s Atlantic Coast Conference game, the Fighting Irish will have to contend with Duke’s defense as well.
“People might think of us as an offensive team, but we definitely think of ourselves as a defensive team, and we take great pride on that end of the floor,” Duke swingman Kon Knueppel said.
Duke (13-2, 5-0) owns a nine-game winning streak and is 9-0 at home this season. Notre Dame (7-8, 1-3) has lost three games in a row and is 1-3 on the road.
The Blue Devils had an 18-0 game-ending run in Tuesday night’s 76-47 victory against visiting Pitt. So clearly there was a strong stretch of defense, because Pitt’s final points came with 7:59 remaining.
Cooper Flagg’s highlights grab much of the attention, as Duke’s freshman sensation provided a much-replayed dunk in the second half Tuesday night. Other players have been collecting special moments for Duke as well.
The Blue Devils keep getting more out of freshman center Khaman Maluach, who’s a major part of the team’s defensive efforts.
“You want to keep him at the rim to protect, but we’ve known from the beginning he can move his feet too,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “Even if you get by him as a guard, even if you get a step, you still have a 7-2 guy that can move, and has timing, that’s coming to chase after your shot.”
Flagg said the Blue Devils are attentive to the defensive plan. That clearly worked against Pitt, which shot 31 percent from the field. The Panthers arrived averaging 84.1 points per game.
“It was just about stressing the game plan, being in the gaps, and just helping each other out, and having five guys guard the ball,” Flagg said.
Notre Dame will face its third consecutive opponent from the state of North Carolina. The Irish lost by one Saturday to visiting North Carolina and again by one on Wednesday at North Carolina State.
“We have to be better in our details and our discipline, and I think that will help us,” Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry said.
Markus Burton has been back for the past two games for the Irish after missing more than a month with a knee injury, leading Notre Dame in scoring in both games. The sophomore guard has taken the last shot in both outings, missing each time.
“It will take a little bit of time,” Shrewsberry said of returning to prime game condition. “We have to be smart about when we give him breaks … to keep him fresh.”
There’s no time for panic for the Irish, even with what looks like an even bigger task ahead.
“There’s a lot of season left,” Shrewsberry said. “I think you learn from every situation that happens and you try to get better for the next time it happens.”
Duke has won its first five ACC games by double-figure margins. That’s something that hadn’t happened for the Blue Devils since the 1998-99 season.
The hype around Flagg, who has compiled six double-doubles, is panning out for the Blue Devils.
“He is so competitive, and he brings out a lot of good stuff from his teammates and for our team,” Scheyer said.
–Field Level Media
