The Duke Blue Devils made a statement with their win over Kentucky on Tuesday and are now slated to take on the Black Knights of Army West Point on Sunday afternoon, hosting them in the first regular season contest at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season.
The youth on the roster was a concern for Duke in the early part of the schedule, but Coach Krzyzwski had his team ready from the start as the freshman went off and Duke showed how much talent this team has on the roster. Army will have its hands full. Live betting will be available at BookMaker.eu. We’ll see what’s on tap for us in this Friday night showdown between two tournament regulars, but what should we look for in live betting at BookMaker.eu?
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Army Black Knights vs. Duke Blue Devils
Date and Time: Sunday, November 11, 2018, 1 p.m. ET
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC
College Basketball Odds: Check Back Later
Black Knights vs. Blue Devils TV Coverage: ESPN
The Blue Devils made a statement on Tuesday against the Wildcats, winning in commanding fashion, 118-84. The offense went off.
Duke got record breaking performances by R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson in their freshman debuts. Barret scored 33 points with six assists and was on the court for a team leading 32 minutes. Williamson, meanwhile, scored 28 points, shooting a staggering 11-for-13 from the floor. Both Barrett and Williamson outscored the team’s former record for most points by a freshman in their debut, topping the 25 scored by Marvin Bagley III last year.
On the outside, Tre Jones didn’t get many chances to shoot and only sank two of seven shots along with a free throw for six total points, but he played 30 minutes on the floor and was the primary ball-handler, doing well keep the pace for the Blue Devils and maintaining control of the floor. He also recorded a team leading seven assists.
There’s a reason Duke is ranked No.4. The freshman foursome of Barrett, Williamson, Jones and Cam Reddish are dynamic. As for Reddish, he’s a great blender and fits this run-and-gun offense quite well. As a college prospect, he was a lesser name than either Barrett or Williams, but kept pace in the first game, scoring 22 points and nabbing four steals.
All things considered, the young blood for Duke looked to already be in midseason form, not showing any signs of early growing pains despite the big game against another elite college basketball program. By comparison, Army West Point should be a bit of an easier opponent.
The Black Knights returned all four of their leading scorers from last year’s team that averaged 74.3 PPG in the Patriot League, a rather impressive number considering the conference.
This a deep, experienced roster. They can’t light up the scoreboard quite like Duke did on Tuesday, but they can score. This team could sneakily outperform preseason expectations, but they’re still largely the same squad that managed just 13 wins each of the last two seasons.
Tommy Funk and Jordan Fox will lead the way. They were the top scorers last year and combined for 29 points in the season opener against Marist. Both shot well from the floor and are strong from beyond the arc. With Duke having the dynamic options inside, they’ll need to control the perimeter. That falls on Funk and Fox.
Matt Wilson led the team in scoring on Tuesday against Marist, scoring shooting 8-for-8 and sinking eight free throws as well in route to 24 points, a figure he’s unlikely to be able to replicate.
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Experience isn’t everything in college basketball. We can see that in this contest where Army has the experience edge, but through a truly elite recruiting class, Duke has one of the better teams in the country.
Talent is key, but for a program like Army that will never have a great recruiting class like the likes of Duke, Kentucky and Kansas—experience is key to give you a chance to over perform.
If the Black Knights get off to a hot start, don’t bite on letdown game narrative for Duke. Yes, the freshman undoubtedly got up to play Kentucky and Army is a sizeable downgrade from there, but these are still kids hyped to be in the college ranks and showing what they can do on the big stage for Duke. It’s also Duke’s home opener which means something, too.
Key Stats
The Blue Devils scored 118 on Kentucky in their opener, the most a Coach Calipari coached Wildcats team have ever allowed, but the key stat in the game is the 54.4-percent they shot from the floor, including a 42.6-percent success rate on 26 shots from three-point range.
Opportunities were plentiful for Duke in a fast-paced game as the team took 79 shots. A nine steal differential between the Blue Devils and the Wildcats helped allow for those opportunities while 38 rebounds, including 13 offensive rebounds played a part, too.
Speaking of those rebounds, 11 came from Jack White. The co-captain was expected to have a bigger role in the locker room than on the hardwood, but he got 30-minutes in the game and was a key rebounder, especially on the offensive end of the floor.
Black Knights vs. Blue Devils Live Betting
Following the Kentucky model with youngsters isn’t the most Duke thing to do, but that’s what Coach K has this year thanks to an excellent recruiting class. The starting five includes four freshman and we’ve already seen they’re all ready for the big arena of major college hoops.
While Army does bring more experience to the court than the Blue Devils, the Black Knights didn’t fare all that well the last couple years with these same players. While growth is to be expected, it’s hard to imagine things suddenly clicking for the team.
Army barely squeezed by Marist in its season opener. Duke will provide fits. Look for the Black Knights to play up to the competition a bit and while the Sunday afternoon contest could be a bit of a letdown game for Duke, the Blue Devils should still win this one handily.
Check out all of the live betting at BookMaker.eu for Sunday’s college basketball.
Army vs. Duke Score Prediction: Duke 101, Army 68
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