How Duke basketball reversed its road fortunes with consecutive ACC wins
Oh what a difference 38 days makes for Duke basketball.
Just over a month ago, the Blue Devils saw Tyrese Proctor go down with an ankle injury and left Georgia Tech with their second loss in a row. In danger of going from No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll to unranked, Duke hasn’t lost since that setback in Atlanta.
Following a 75-53 win at Pitt on Tuesday, No. 11 Duke will ride a seven-game winning streak into a revenge game against the Yellow Jackets on Saturday (5 p.m., ACC Network) at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Kyle Filipowski had 26 points and 10 rebounds against the Panthers (10-6, 1-4 ACC) to lead the Blue Devils (12-3, 3-1), who have back-to-back road wins in the ACC for the first time under second-year coach Jon Scheyer. Duke was 4-6 on the road in Scheyer’s debut season and didn’t get its second road victory until Jan. 28.
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Sure, Pitt and Notre Dame (7-9, 2-3) don’t appear to be among the strongest teams in the ACC. But, through Tuesday’s games, road teams are 11-16 in the ACC. Duke, UNC and NC State have six of those victories.
Here's a look at how the Blue Devils reserved their course on the road.
Duke basketball’s assists, improved defense
The Blue Devils have gotten better on both ends of the court, and here’s the proof.
In its losses at Arkansas and Georgia Tech, Duke combined to assist on 44% of its baskets. In their wins against Notre Dame and Pitt, the Blue Devils assisted on 56.2% of their makes.
As for making shots, the Blue Devils were a combined 26.3% from beyond the arc against Arkansas and Georgia Tech, but made 37.2% at Notre Dame and Pitt. Duke also produced more points at the rim, making 53% of its layups in its road wins after missing more than half of its layups in the road losses.
Defensively, Arkansas and Georgia Tech combined to shoot 50% against the Blue Devils. Notre Dame and Pitt combined to shoot 36%. Duke has held six of its last seven opponents to below 50% shooting and improved its rebounding numbers, including a 42-26 advantage at Pitt.
Jeremy Roach remains Blue Devils’ consistent contributor
Senior captain Jeremy Roach has been Duke’s most consistent player through 15 games. Roach called out his defense and leadership in the losses at Arkansas and Georgia Tech, but his production has been a sure thing for the Blue Devils.
In the first two road losses, Roach averaged 21 points on 51.9% shooting with eight assists, two turnovers and three steals. His shooting percentage went down against Notre Dame and Pitt, but he still averaged 13.5 points. Roach also influenced the game in other areas, logging six assists, one turnover and five steals in Duke’s road wins. The senior is as steady as any player in the ACC.
Freshman guard Jared McCain is getting in a groove
Freshman starter Jared McCain combined for 11 points on 22.1% shooting in the losses to the Razorbacks and Yellow Jackets. That stretch feels like years ago.
During the Blue Devils’ seven-game winning streak, McCain has knocked down 54% of his shots and is averaging 17.1 points. He averaged 11.5 points on 43.2% shooting at Notre Dame and Pitt. When McCain is knocking down shots, Duke is tough to top.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball reverses road fortunes, and the Blue Devils look elite
