WELCOME TO THE…..
No. 18 Maryland is coming off a win Thursday night against Coppin State. The Terps welcome an old friend—an old rival: former ACC rival No.11 Duke Blue Devils. The Terps and Blue Devils last played each other back in 2014. Sunday afternoon the Rival will be renewed.
The Keys To Victory
How Does Maryland defensively match up against Duke?
Building off their Sweet 16 run last season, Duke has been shooting the ball well, but against non-conference opponents, this early in the season. Look for Zone defenses from the Terps and even full-court traps. Maryland has forced 39 turnovers defensively. The Terps have 88 rebounds on the season so far. That is something to watch for.
Duke has some dents in the Armor
Duke is a ranked opponent, and there should be no question about that. They struggle against ranked teams, finishing 5-8 last season. In fairness, the blue devils, such as NC State and Virginia Tech, faced better competition. Maryland is the first-ranked opponent this season for the Blue Devils; it will be interesting to see how they play.
Maryland offensively will set the tone
This team is built around the “Core Three” (Bri McDaniel, Allie Kubek, and Shy Sellers). The notion that they can have a bad game? That can only happen sometimes, but not always, especially with your offense running through Shyanne. The three combined for 15 points in the win against Coppin State. Kaylene Smikle and Sarah Te-Biasu took over the game. But come Big Ten play? The three have to set the tone for the Terps offensively. Maryland’s turnover-to-assist ratio saw some improvement, but that is an area where there will be focus.
Non-Conference matchup, but this doesn’t feel like it
2006, 2009, 2012, 2014…such sweet memories. Cue the Squidward “winner” meme. This matchup was the reason you turned on TV. These two programs defined ACC basketball. More importantly, Duke vs. Maryland is a rivalry many will discuss for years to come.
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