Duke hits the road again to Dallas to take on the SMU Mustangs in a battle of undefeated teams in ACC league play. The teams will meet for just the fifth time and for the first time as conference foes. The game will be a clash of Duke’s top scoring defense in the ACC (59.0 points allowed per game) against SMU’s highest scoring offense in the conference (87.2 points per game).
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SMU Mustangs
SMU is coming off of a 20 win season where they were 5th in the AAC conference. The Mustangs lost to Temple in the second round of the American Athletic Conference Tournament and lost to the #1 seed Indiana State Sycamores in the first round of the NIT. In his first year in the ACC Andy Enfield has his Mustangs at 11-2 so far on the season and 2-0 in league play.
13th in the country in scoring at 87.2 points per game, the Mustangs are tops in the ACC games at 83 points per contest. Within the ACC They are first in field goal percentage overall, 2nd in 3-point field goal percentage at 42.5% and 3rd in assists. On a 7 game winning streak overall, SMU’s 2 ACC wins have come at home against Virginia and on the road at Boston College.
The Mustangs boast 5 double figure scorers, led by junior Boopie Miller at 15.4 per game. Miller also leads SMU in assists with 5.9 per game. Chuck Harris off the bench adds 12.2 points per game for Andy Enfield’s team, Harris is shooting 49% from beyond the arc so far on the season. Matt Cross, B.J. Edwards and Kario Oquendo are all averaging just over 10 points a game with Cross at 10.7, Edwards and Oquendo are both at 10.2 per game. Cross leads the Mustangs on the boards with 8.2 per game.
Duke Blue Devils
Duke currently sits at 11-2 and 3-0 in the ACC. Duke, like SMU, enters Saturday with a 7-game winning streak on the line and both teams are undefeated in the ACC. Duke is the only team in the country ranked in the top-10 in both offensive (9th) and defensive efficiency (3rd), according to KenPom.
The Blue Devils are led in 3 categories by freshman Cooper Flagg. Flagg leads the Blue Devils in points (16.9), rebounds (8.2) and assists (3.7). Duke boasts 2 other double-figure scorers in freshman Kon Knueppel and junior Tyrese Proctor. Knueppel scores 12.2 points per game and is averaging 2.8 assists per contest. Shooting the ball at a 40% clip from beyond the arc, Tyrese Proctor, is adding 11.4 points per game to Duke’s tally. Freshman Isaiah Evans is leading the Blue Devils in 3-point shooting at 52% so far on the season and has increased his scoring output to 9 points per game.
Final Thoughts
SMU provides a unique test for the Blue Devils and may be the toughest out in the ACC. The Mustangs are incredibly efficient on the offensive end and play a fast-paced game, generally trying to get their shots up early in the shot clock, putting pressure on defenses. The Blue Devils are going to have to the stout defensive team they have shown through this early part of the year but especially on the perimeter. With a plethora of shooters, the Mustangs are adept against getting the looks they want without settling on offense. Boopie Miller and Matt Cross are a dangerous combination. Miller gets downhill quickly be it in a set offense or in transition and is one of the best finishers in the ACC, he uses his body well, absorbs contact and gets a lot of and-1 opportunities. Cross is a forward who can just as easily hit from beyond the arc as he can muscle his way into the paint. He’s a strong inside player with moves in the paint where he utilizes his size and strength to finish. He reminds me a lot of Ian Schieffelin in that he always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
Some important keys for Duke:
- Get back in transition
- Slow down the Mustangs by being efficient offensively
- Box out; limit second chance opportunities
- No open looks from 3
