Preview: Duke Looks to Continue its Dominance at Wake Forest

The Duke Blue Devils travel to Winston-Salem where they will be facing the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in their second ACC contest of the season.

Duke comes into the game on a roll. They may be playing like they are the best team in the country because all 13 of their victories have been by double digits. The Blue Devils also have one of the best players in the country, if not the best, Jahlil Okafor. Okafor has been on a tear and will be looking to continue his dominance against a struggling Wake Forest team.

Jan 3, 2015; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski talks to guard Tyus Jones (5) in their game against the Boston College Eagles at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

Wake Forest has gotten off to a slow start to the season as they are now 8-7 overall and 0-2 in conference play. The slow start doesn’t come as much of a surprise as they were predicted to finish 11th in the conference by NBCSports.com. On Dec. 23, 2014, BleacherReport.com did an ACC Power Rankings before ACC play began and Wake Forest was ranked 15th out of 15 teams.

Not much has gone right for the Demon Deacons so far this season and with Duke on a roll right now things don’t look promising for Wake Forest. The good news for Wake Forest is that they average 40.5 rebounds per game which is tied for 22nd best in college basketball. If the Demon Deacons have any chance of winning they will need to win the rebounding battle on both ends of the floor.

Wake Forest may out-rebound many of their opponents but they have trouble scoring the basketball. Through 15 games the Demon Deacons are averaging 70.6 points per game on 42.7 percent shooting from the field and only 33.5 percent from three. The Demon Deacons rank 220th out of 351 teams for field goal percentage and 191 in three-point percentage. When you play Duke you have to be able to make shots.

The Demon Deacons are led by guard Codi Miller-McIntyre, 13.1 points, and forward Devin Thomas, 12.1 points. Outside of those two players the rest of the team has been inconsistent and haven’t shown the ability to take a game over. The Blue Devils will focus their attention on stopping those two players and by stopping them you stop Wake Forest. Thomas and Miller-McIntyre will need huge offensive games if Wake has any chance in the game.

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The one thing that Duke does just as well as anybody in the country is score. They are an offensive juggernaut averaging 85.3 points per game which is fourth in the country. They shoot at an extremely high rate shooting 52.4 percent which is third in the country and 38.5 percent from three which is 41st in the country. Duke’s offense is efficient.

Duke will continue to run their offense through Okafor. No team has shown any signs of slowing him down and Wake Forest doesn’t have the size or talent to slow him down. If you double Okafor he will find the open man and Duke has talent surrounding him. Justise Winslow, Tyus Jones, Quinn Cook, Matt Jones, Rasheed Sulaimon and Amile Jefferson feed off of Okafor and benefit from the attention he draws. The Blue Devils have too much talent for Wake Forest and all players will be involved on both ends of the floor.

What To Expect: Expect Okafor to be double and triple teamed all game long as Wake Forest will make Duke shoot from three rather than give up an easy two. Keep an eye out for Quinn Cook and Tyus Jones on the perimeter to have big games as they will be able to get quite a few open looks. Cook hasn’t been shooting the ball extremely well the past few games but he continues to score in double figures and make his share of threes. His field-goal and three-point percentage may not be that high over the past four games but he has made at least two three-pointers in each game. Expect Cook to have another double-digit scoring game.

Jan 3, 2015; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Rasheed Sulaimon (14) reacts after scoring a three-point shot against the Boston College Eagles in their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

Duke’s Depth: If Duke wants to win another championship they will need their bench to play well on a consistent basis. Rasheed Sulaimon is the best player off the bench and has been largely inconsistent so far this season. Sulaimon is coming off an impressive game versus Boston College where he showed signs of breaking out of his slump. He scored 11 points with two assists and three rebounds versus BC but he shot the ball well. Sulaimon was 4-7 from the field and went 3-3 from deep. He has been inconsistent adjusting to his new role the past two seasons but Duke needs his production off the bench. Sulaimon will continue to get better and Wake Forest will have no answer for him. Expect Sulaimon to lead the bench and provide the Blue Devils with much-needed scoring off the bench.

Prediction: The offensive ability that Duke possesses will prove to be too much for Wake Forest in a battle of David versus Goliath. Duke will continue to roll and improve to 14-0 and 2-0 in ACC play. Wake Forest will feed off the crowd early but ultimately Duke will make one of their signature runs and win in a rout. The Blue Devils will win the game 81-58.

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