Duke basketball: 3 keys to a Blue Devil victory in Syracuse
By Jack Burgess
Duke basketball looks to keep its road win streak intact.
At 6 p.m. ET Saturday, it’s looking like historic coaches Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski will meet for the final time on the hardwood as the Syracuse Orange host the Duke Blue Devils. Barring a meeting in the ACC Tournament or an unlikely Syracuse appearance in the big dance, the thrilling ride between the two Hall-of-Famers is over. And it has been one heck of a journey.
The camaraderie we fans have gotten to witness between the two friends is nothing short of spectacular. Throughout their times in college basketball, they’ve perfected implementing the mindset of how the game should be played — a game of honor, respect, and brotherhood.
Through their tactics on the courts, views of basketball, coach-player relationships, and so much more, not only have Boeheim and Krzyzewski set the standard of coaching the game we all love, but they’ve presented all sports fans with an idealistic approach to the game of life. The storied rivalry will be greatly missed — but never forgotten.
Their final regular-season face-off will be one for the books. I’m sure Coach Boeheim will present Coach K with a tender send-off, unlike Carolina, with ensuing tears and heartfelt emotions. It’s time to write one final chapter in the Duke-Syracuse chronicles with both Krzyzewski and Boeheim at the helm, and the Blue Devils will intend on summarizing it with a victory.
Even though the Orange have had somewhat of a disappointing season, sitting in eighth place in the ACC standings with an overall record of 15-13 and 9-8 in conference play, the treasured rivalry between Duke and Syracuse never ceases to entertain. Jim Boeheim, being the coach he is, will do everything it takes to make Coach K earn one final victory in the Carrier Dome.
The Blue Devils are more than ready for the challenge after an exciting victory over the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville extended their road win streak to six games, the most among power-five conferences. They’ll look to extend that count to seven when they travel to New York on Saturday.
With that being said, here are three keys to a Duke win in Syracuse.