3 keys to Duke basketball’s revenge game at Virginia
By Jack Burgess
Key to a Duke basketball victory at Virginia: AJ Griffin
Prior to the Virginia loss, it was all lights and stars for AJ Griffin as he went off against North Carolina for a career-high 27 points, boosting the Blue Devils to a dominating victory in Chapel Hill. The basketball demons shadowed a dark cloud over Griffin following a career night as he would go on to score only two points on a team-low 14.3 percent shooting against the Cavaliers.
It’s odd, but Griffin is much more of a factor for Duke on the road than he is at home. He averages an attractive 16.3 points in road games, trailing only Paolo Banchero for the highest average on the team.
Griffin’s shot-taking decisions against Virginia were not horrible. The freshman forward was just having a brutal time executing.
I’m all about trends, and the trend says that Griffin is most effective in games when he is traveling away from Durham. Hopefully, that’s the case when Duke takes on Virginia in their revenge match.
Nonetheless, it is of utmost importance that AJ Griffin gets something going for the Blue Devils on the road against Virginia. When he’s on, and Duke seems to be firing on all cylinders, they’re one of the toughest teams to handle in the country.
Predicting every Duke win and loss this season. dark. Next
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