Dec 18, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Ryan Boatright (11) against Duke Blue Devils forward Amile Jefferson (behind) and guard Quinn Cook (2) at the Izod Center. Duke Blue Devils defeats the Connecticut Huskies 66-56. Mandatory Credit: Jim O
The Duke Blue Devils will look to add another win to their 10-0 start when they play host to Toledo.
Duke is coming off of an extended holiday break in which they had 11 days between games. The last two games Duke played, after a 12 day break, there were obvious signs of rust and the team looked out of rhythm. They won both games, versus Elon and UConn, but they were not clean or clicking on all cylinders as they were in previous games.
Now that finals and Christmas has passed Duke will look to get back into form. Playing games on a more consistent basis should make that easy with the talent they have. Tyus Jones, Quinn Cook, Jahlil Okafor, and Justise Winslow will be leading the charge for another Duke victory.
The Blue Devils are hoping to open the season with an 11-0 record for the 11th time under Coach K. Duke is also trying to add-on to their impressive home winning streak. The Blue Devils have now won 38 consecutive games at Cameroon Indoor Stadium.
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The 38 consecutive wins at home is the fourth longest streak in Duke and ACC history. Along with the 38 straight home wins Duke is looking to make it 115 straight non-conference home victories. The streaks are rather impressive and Toledo doesn’t pose much of a threat to pulling an upset.
If Duke is sloppy and rusty like they were versus Elon then the game is going to get more interesting than it should be. Toledo is not a bad team but they don’t have the talent or depth to match-up with Duke for 40 minutes, especially in Cameron Indoor.
Julius Brown, guard, Justin Drummond, guard/forward, and J.D. Weatherspoon, forward, are the three key players for the Toledo Rockets. All three players are averaging over 12 points per game and play 29 to 32 minutes per game. The production level drops off after those three leave the floor. Duke must focus on making someone other than Brown, 16 points per game, beat them.
Brown is one of the best point guards in the country and rarely turns it over. He has outstanding vision and is currently tied for 13th nationally with six assists per game. Brown is Toledo’s one true go to player and Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook with have their hands full chasing him around all night.
Nov 4, 2014; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Tyus Jones (5) drives as Livingstone Blue Bears guard Robert Flint (15) defends in their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports
As we know by now Duke is led by their “big three” in Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, and Justise Winslow. Quinn Cook plays a role similar to that of Rajon Rondo with the Boston Celtics when their big three was formed. Cook is playing some of his best basketball of his Duke career and is making his teammates better. Jones is at his best in big time games.
The last time we saw Duke play they were battling UConn and controlled most of the game. Jones was the MVP of that game scoring 21 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Look out for Jones to have a big game tonight and rack up the assists.
Okafor is also in line for a big game and will certainly add another double-double to his resume. Duke should be able to shake off the rust early and coast to victory.
My prediction for the game is that Duke wins big. Too much fire power and too much of a home court advantage. Duke wins 82 to 60. Tune in to ESPN2 at 7 p.m. to watch the game.