College Basketball

Duke Basketball: Three Things to Watch vs. Notre Dame

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:02 p.m. ET

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Duke Basketball dropped in NCAA rankings after comeback win at Wake Forest, but what should Blue Devil fans look out for tonight against Notre Dame?

The Blue Devils’ slide down the national polls continued after Duke dropped to No. 21 in the most recent NCAA polls. Duke Basketball faces a tough test today on the road at Notre Dame, who were ranked slightly ahead of the Blue Devils.

Both teams have struggled recently in conference play after starting the season very well. Duke is coming off an exciting win over Wake Forest but have lost three of their last five ACC games. Notre Dame has also struggled lately losing three of their last four in conference play. Both teams will be desperate for a win to help turn their seasons around, and there are three things Duke Basketball fans should watch for during this game.

3. Can Duke improve defensively?

One of the primary factors in Duke’s struggles has been lackluster defense. The team has been unable to stop guards from penetrating in the paint and prevent teams from scoring easy baskets. Despite the great win over Wake Forest, the Blue Devils’ still showed weakness defensively against the Demon Deacons allowing 42 points in the first half. Poor defense also contributed to the severe foul trouble which led to Jayson Tatum fouling out and four other Blue Devils finishing with four fouls. No offense to Wake Forest, but Notre Dame is a significantly more talented team offensively. It will take a huge defensive effort and focus to slow down the Fighting Irish who average around 80 points per game.

2. How will Jeff Capel handle the rotation?

Duke Basketball strayed from the expected rotation at Wake Forest, mostly due to the team’s foul trouble. However, interim head coach Jeff Capel deliberately went with sophomore Antonio Vrankovic over Marques Bolden and Harry Giles down the stretch with Chase Jeter out indefinitely. That decision payed off for the Blue Devils, with Vrankovic only adding two points but providing a spark for the team with his effort. Capel also made a small tweak to the starting lineup by inserting Matt Jones and going small with four guards and one big. The acting head coach will have big decisions to make tonight with the starting lineup and which young center gets the most minutes off the bench behind Amile Jefferson?

1. Can Luke Kennard stay on hot streak?

Shooting guard Luke Kennard recorded one of the top performances in Duke Basketball history in the comeback against Wake Forest. The shooting guard had a perfect second half making every shot from the field and recording 30 points including the game-winning three with less than 10 seconds left. Kennard has been the Blue Devils’ leading scorer at 20.4 points per game, and making a case for national player of the year. But Duke only had one game off after the victory over the Demon Deacons so fatigue could be a factor determining if Kennard will be able to keep up the scoring pace against Notre Dame tonight?

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