DBR Newsletter #83
at Michigan State
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Key Stats
Duke 66 Michigan State 60
Total Possessions: 64
Duke Pts/Possession: 1.03 ppp
MSU Pts/Possession: 0.94 ppp
Duke Effective FG%: 46.4%
MSU Effective FG%: 37.9%
Duke Fast Break Pts: 6
MSU Fast Break Pts: 17
Full Game Stats: Duke Basketball Reference Season Stats
Notes
Michigan State scored 12 of their 17 fast break points in the first half. The Spartans shot just 13 of 44 on two-pointers for the game (0.59 points-per-shot), and became the sixth Duke opponent this season to post an effective field goal percentage below 40%.1
Cameron Boozer and Caleb Foster combined to score 26 of their 30 points after halftime. Nikolas Khamenia led Duke in the first half with 9 points.2
With 9:09 remaining, Duke trailed 51-48 before outscoring Michigan State 18-9 to close the game. There were 5 ties and 12 lead changes on the afternoon, and the final margin (+6) was the largest lead for either team.
Duke played 9 consecutive possessions of zone defense in the second half beginning at the 7:48 mark. The Spartans were only able to generate 0.44 points-per-possession against the zone,3 and it helped Duke manage their foul trouble down the stretch. Coach Scheyer utilized a 3-2 alignment, inverted from the 2-3 zone he used some last season, placing Dame Sarr with his seven-foot wingspan at the top. Sarr uses his length to discourage passes into the high post, while Caleb Foster and Isaiah Evans cover the wings - this makes for shorter closeouts and better contests on drives or three-point attempts. Here are a some pictures from Duke’s first zone possession yesterday.
Initial alignment with Sarr at the top:
Caleb takes the ball on the wing while Dame shades toward the high post - his wide stance discourages the pass so Michigan State reverses the ball. Cameron communicates with Maliq, pointing out the threat on the baseline.
Kohler flashes to the middle from the block instead of posting up, which prevents Sarr from denying the entry pass. Maliq now takes the ball in the high post and the 3-2 allows for good coverage on the perimeter, leaving Isaiah to contest the long three from Fears.
Thanks for reading, Go Duke!
Duke currently leads the nation in eFG% defense at 40.0%.
Second half scoring: Boozer 16 of his 18 points; Foster 10 of his 12 points. Khamenia hit 3 of 4 three-points before halftime.
Michigan State scored 4 points in the 9 zone possessions. Fears converted 2 free throws after being fouled on a defensive rebound, so those two points were not against the zone (i.e. the Spartans walked directly to the free throw line after the foul).
Sources