Coach Ham and the Noles travel to Cameron Indoor and face what is sure to be a hostile crowd

   


  The Noles are headed to Cameron Indoor for their 36th game all-time against the Duke Blue Devils. Duke enters on a five-game win streak, with their lowest margin of victory sitting at a measly 18 points. Florida State University is looking to steal a game after being on the wrong end of a two-game losing streak. 

    In the last 20 or so seasons, the Noles have beaten the Blue Devils just seven times. However, this series has produced some classics like the Michael Snaer beater and the court storm back in the 2021 season.

Offense

    Under Coach Scheyer, the Blue Devils run a motion or early action offense once run by Hall of Famer, Coach K. Their motion sets see players 1 through 5 constantly moving around the court, creating cutting lanes or opportunities for their players to drive to the basket due to missed rotations. 

    This could pose some difficulties for FSU's defense, as we know they love to switch on everything. Any sudden lapses in rotation or miscommunications out on the perimeter will almost surely lead to an open Blue Devil in prime position to score. 

    Duke has been excellent in pretty much every offensive category this season. They can score at all three levels with no true weakness and have shot 49.2% from the floor (best in the ACC). Their most dangerous offensive weapon is the three-ball. Duke has the best three-point shooting percentage in the ACC with 39.1%, which is also eighth in the country. 

    FSU has been known for its height all season, but for the first time this year, they'll face a team that's bigger than them. Duke is the tallest team in the country, and they use their size effectively on offense. They shoot 63% on the block, ranking 44th in the nation.

    The Blue Devils' big-time offensive threat is a man who needs no introduction. Freshan Cooper Flagg has been dominant all season and is the consensus number one overall pick in this year's NBA draft. Flagg combines his outside shooting with the ability to drive to the basket and has the footwork of a big man in the paint.



Defense

    Duke has been dominant on the defensive end, too. They don't have some kind of intricate defensive scheme that tries to confuse opposing offenses. Rather, the Blue Devils play a traditional man-to-man defense but can play it better than almost anybody in the country. 

    Duke allows only 61 points per game, ranking 7th in the nation, and is the 4th most efficient defensive team in the country, according to KenPom. 

    Duke's defensive prowess forces teams to shoot just 30.4% from deep, the best percentage against in the ACC and the 15th best nationally, and allows teams to converge at just a 38% clip, also the best in the conference. 

    Duke's size also has positives on the defensive side of the floor. Duke's interior defense is excellent and has forced teams to make just 51.6% of their inside shots, which is 20th across the country. Khaman Maluach may be Duke's best interior defender. The freshman stands at 7-foot-2 and has the 6th best block percentage in the ACC. They pair this outstanding interior presence with discipline as they have the lowest free throws in the ACC.

    Throughout the season, FSU has lived at the charity stripe. It will be interesting to see how FSU's emphasis on the interior will play against Duke's interior. 


Keys to the Game

    Neutralize Flagg. You won't completely stop Cooper Flagg, but FSU has to try their best to neutralize him. Duke's third leading scorer, Tyrese Proctor, will be out with an injury against Florida State. The Noles have to try and capitalize on this by focusing more attention on Flagg now that they don't have to worry about Proctor.

Make Threes. This is way easier said than done. FSU has not been a great three-point shooting team, but when you go into an environment as hostile as Cameron Indoor, you need to make some threes. A general rule for many underdog teams is that they need to make around 10 three-pointers to have a chance at pulling off an upset. The only time this has happened for the Noles this season was in their last game against UNC.

    Turn Duke over. We've seen the Noles play at their best when they're forcing turnovers. Duke rarely turns the ball over. To stop Duke's potent offensive attack, the Noles have to find ways to get the Blue Devils to turn the ball over, limiting the amount of shots they can take on the offensive side of the floor.

    


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