No. 2 Duke ready to step into hostile territory (Jan 06, 2018)
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Second-ranked Duke heads back on the road for the first time since its only slip-up this season when it faces North Carolina State on Saturday night at PNC Arena.
"Each road game is going to be a little tougher than a home game here at Cameron (Indoor Stadium)," freshman guard Trevon Duval said. "So we have to go in there with the attitude to win and be ready for a fight."
The Blue Devils (13-1, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) have played just twice since the Dec. 9 loss at Boston College. They won those home games against Evansville and No. 24 Florida State.
It has been another week layoff for Duke.
"Something we've talked about a while now, to be into the (ACC) season," freshman forward Wendell Carter Jr. said. "Playing N.C. State on the road, ACC game, so there's going to be a lot of people there so we want to feed off the energy and play hard."
N.C. State will be making its ACC home debut under first-year coach Kevin Keatts. The Wolfpack opened with two ACC road games for the first time in a decade, falling to Clemson and Notre Dame in lopsided results.
"I didn't think anybody played well," Keatts said following the latest setback. "What this group hasn't done is be able to take what we do in practice and take it to the floor right now."
Duke's offense has been clicking for the most part, reaching the 100-point mark in three of its last four games. With 94.6 points per game, the Blue Devils rank second nationally in scoring along with being first in rebounding (45.3 per game).
For Duke, this is the beginning of its state-wide tour. In slightly more than a month, the Blue Devils will visit three in-state ACC venues.
That will certainly provide another avenue to showcase the freshman class. Freshman forward Marvin Bagley III leads the ACC in scoring with 21.9 points per game.
For N.C. State graduate transfer Allerik Freeman, this will be the first taste of the in-state ACC rivalries. He's from Charlotte, so he probably at least understands the background.
"That's what we all dreamed about as little kids," said Freeman, a former Baylor player. "Playing in the best conference, that's why I transferred here."
A year ago, N.C. State pulled off one of its few ACC victories with a stunning road upset of Duke. That was led by freshman sensation Dennis Smith Jr., who has since been a first-round draft pick of the Dallas Mavericks.
"So they probably have some confidence," Duval said of the Wolfpack. "We have to come back and play strong and get some revenge on them."
Duke played that night without coach Mike Krzyzewski on the bench because that was one of the games he missed following back surgery. That surgery came exactly one year earlier (Jan. 6, 2017) than this game with the Wolfpack.
Krzyzewski is aiming for his 500th victory away from Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Duke leads the all-time series against N.C. State by 146-100.
