Blue Devils and Yellow Jackets: ACC Conference Finals

As expected, the Duke Blue Devils have advanced to the ACC Conference Finals following what turned out to be a competitive game against a pesky Miami Hurricanes squad. Duke trailed by 3 at halftime, but managed to pull away early in the second half. They were up by as many as 15 before the Hurricanes reeled them back in the last few minutes.

Although the Blue Devils have a 28-5 record, and are ranked 4th in the country, they haven’t been classed in the same group as Kansas and Kentucky by the experts. This is due to the lack of strength of the ACC conference as a whole. Only 2 teams are currently ranked in the top 25, and the other (Maryland) lost in their first round match-up against Georgia Tech. Just 7 of the 11 teams in the league are above .500 for the season. Considering the easy schedule that many of these teams play prior to starting conference games, this is a very unimpressive number.

Despite giving up a double-digit halftime lead to N. Carolina St, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have earned their invitation into the ACC finals. G-Tech has managed to squeak by all 3 of their opponents in the conference tournament, winning by an average of 4 points per game. However, hard fought games like those are what makes a team stronger. This is much needed for an inconsistent Yellow Jackets squad that went just 7-9 against the rest of the ACC this season. It is still uncertain if Georgia Tech has done enough to punch their ticket into the NCAA tournament, but a win in the Championship game would get them in automatically.

The only chance they have of winning is with defense. Duke has struggled over the last 2 games from the field, and will not find it any easier to get open looks against a G-Tech team that holds most of their opponents well below their season averages. They are led in scoring by Gani Lawal. Lawal contributes 13.4 points per game, and also leads the team in rebounds with 8.8 per game. Derrick Favors is the other “bookend” forward in the Jackets frontcourt. These 2 big men are the reason why they are so competitive defensively as they make it difficult for opposing teams to score easy baskets in the paint. Unfortunately, their guard play is lacking with the exception of Iman Shumpert. Shumpert scores just over 10 points, takes down over 3 boards and dishes out 4 assist per game. This team struggles mightily versus teams that have strong guard play. Duke’s top 2 scorers are guards, but they tend to shoot more than they facilitate.

The Blue Devils have only 5 losses, but one of them was to Tech back in early January. They tend to have an occasional letdown game, and it always seems to be against teams with a solid defensive foundation. Two of their losses came against teams from out of conference (Wisconsin, Georgetown), that know how to apply pressure defensively.

Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith may be the best scoring guard duo in the country. They average over 36 points, 6.5 rebounds and 8 assists per game combined. Inside, the Blue Devils counter G-Tech’s dynamic duo with a pair of gems of their own. Kyle Singler pours in over 17 points per game on his own, while Miles Plumlee scores 5 pts, and grabs over 5 boards per game.

This should be a closely contested game regardless of the records or ranking. Georgia Tech definitely has the edge in regards to motivation as they are still on the bubble. If you like watching good basketball, this is the game for you!

Related posts:

1. ACC’s Best Battle: Georgia Tech vs. Duke
2. ACC Battle: Duke vs. Clemson Re-Match
3. Hokies and Demon Deacons Fight to Keep Pace in ACC
4. 7/10 Seed Match-Up: Oklahoma St/ Georgia Tech
5. Final Four Review: Duke Pounds W. Virginia in Semi’s

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