Game Preview: Duke vs. Georgetown - 2K Classic Championship - SCACCHoops.com

Game Preview: Duke vs. Georgetown - 2K Classic Championship

by DukeBlogger.com

Posted: 11/22/2015 9:03:10 AM


Many college basketball fans were hoping to see a rematch of the 2015 national championship game this weekend, but Georgetown had other ideas. After knocking off Wisconsin in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic, the Hoyas will take on defending NCAA Tournament champion Duke in the title game of this event Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

The fifth-ranked Blue Devils disposed of VCU, 79-71, in Friday’s semifinal behind a career-high 30 points from sophomore Grayson Allen. Allen likely will be the focus of Georgetown’s defensive game plan after he showed “spectacular” improvement from the previous game, a loss to top-ranked Kentucky, according to coach Mike Krzyzewski.

In addition to Allen’s strong effort against VCU, Duke also benefited from the emergence of freshman guard Derryck Thornton, who scored 19 points – three more than his previous three games combined. Thornton is one of three freshmen in Duke’s rotation, including starting guard Brandon Ingram and reserve guard Luke Kennard. Ingram and Kennard shot a collective 2-for-11 (0-of-6 from the arc) against the Rams and are a combined 7-for-32 from 3-point land this year.

The Duke Blue Devils are averaging 86.8 points on 47.4 percent shooting and allowing 73.5 points on 45.2 percent shooting. Grayson Allen is averaging 22.5 points and three assists while Matt Jones is averaging 13.8 points and 2.3 rebounds. Amile Jefferson is grabbing 11.3 rebounds and Derryck Thornton is dishing 3.3 assists. The Duke Blue Devils are shooting 36.8 percent from downtown and are averaging just 12 turnovers per game. Duke is also averaging 41 rebounds per game and has 62 offensive boards in four games. However, Duke has allowed 70-plus points in all four games this season.

The Georgetown Hoyas would love a win over a ranked team to get back to a .500 record. The Hoyas lost their first two games, a home upset against Radford and a road heartbreaker against No. 3 Maryland, before topping Wisconsin, 71-61, behind Isaac Copeland’s 15 points, all in the second half. “It’s big for us. We’ve lost a tough one to Maryland the other day,” Copeland told reporters. “We’ve been itching to get our first win of the season. So this starts the train for a good season for us.”

The Hoyas are not the deepest team, but they received a nice lift from their bench against Wisconsin with Jessie Govan and Reggie Cameron combining for 27 points on 5-of-8 3-point shooting. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera is seeking a better performance after enduring his worst game of the young season – a 2-of-9 shooting effort for 12 points versus the Badgers. Still, the senior guard leads the team in scoring (13.7), assists (4.3), steals (1.7) and 3-pointers (7-of-19).

Georgetown is averaging 74 points on 46.5 percent shooting and allowing 72.7 points on 40.9 percent shooting. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera is averaging 13.7 points and 4.3 assists while Bradley Hayes is averaging 13 points and 7.3 rebounds. Isaac Copeland is the third double-digit scorer and Marcus Derrickson is dishing 2.3 assists. The Georgetown Hoyas are shooting 40.7 percent from deep and have made 24 threes in three games. Georgetown is averaging 36 rebounds and turning the ball over 15 times per game. Georgetown is also shooting 76.5 percent from the line, eight percent better than average. Tre Campbell is questionable with an illness.

Of more importance to coach John Thompson III was the Hoyas finally getting their defense aligned against Wisconsin. They limited the Badgers to 31.7 percent shooting and five 3-pointers after allowing opponents to hit 44.6 percent and 18 shots from beyond the arc in their 0-2 start.

Both defenses will be tested in somewhat similar styles. Georgetown continues to use its Princeton-based offense of cuts and motion, while Krzyzewski opted for a four-guard lineup versus VCU and ran more of a motion-based offense to create driving lanes for his quicker lineup.

Notables

  • Georgetown is shooting 76.5 percent from the foul line, putting them in the top 40 nationally, while Duke is uncharacteristically at 66.4 percent from the stripe
  • The Blue Devils won the 2K Sports Classic in 2008
  • Duke F Amile Jefferson notched three straight double-doubles to begin the season before posting six points and seven rebounds against VCU

Georgetown’s experience could make this game very close. However, Duke has far more talent and doesn’t go on long stretches without putting the ball in the hoop. I fully expect that Duke will be more than ready this time out and will come away with a 71-60 victory.

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