Duke men’s basketball opponent preview: Miami

On By Littum

Duke men’s basketball will take on another ACC opponent when Miami travels to Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Chronicle previews Tuesday’s matchup with an overview and three keys to the game:

2023-24 record: 15-17, 6-14 in the ACC

2024-25 record: 4-12, 0-5 in the ACC

Head coach: Bill Courtney (interim)

History: Duke leads 26-9

Last meeting: 84-55 Duke, February 21, 2024

Perhaps the last thing Miami needs in a period of struggle is a contest with the ACC’s current heavyweights. Just over three weeks ago, the Hurricanes lost head coach Jim Larrañaga to an early season retirement. Although the season got off to a rough start – the team went 4-8 with Larrañaga – interim head coach Bill Courtney has yet to see any turnaround. Miami has lost four straight conference games under Courtney, with only an 85-86 heartbreaker against Virginia Tech held within single digits.

The Hurricanes are headed for the bottom of a weak ACC — they remain the only ACC team without a conference win. They have hardly proven the ability to win games, much less big games, as all four wins are currently categorized as Quad 4. Expect the no. 4 Duke enters as a heavy favorite, with an expectation to remain undefeated in conference play.

Miami’s struggles aren’t helped by the absence of superstar guard Nijel Pack. Pack, out since an ankle injury sustained in a contest against No. 1 in Tennessee on Dec. 10, is the team’s only remaining player from their Final Four run in 2023. In his absence, Matthew Cleveland has stepped up. Cleveland currently leads the team in scoring with 17.8 ppg in ACC play and shooting 41.9% from deep.

The Hurricanes are slipping – there’s no doubt about it. Still, the Blue Devils are far from invincible. Their lackluster final minutes against Notre Dame — a stretch in which they allowed a 13-0 run that withered their lead to just five — epitomizes what can happen should Duke roll into Cameron Indoor Stadium and underestimate its opponent.

Place the floor: A key component of the Blue Devils’ late-game struggles Saturday was an inability to strike from deep. Kon Knueppel went 2-of-7, Tyrese Proctor hit just 1-of-5 and Caleb Foster missed all three attempts from behind the arc. That shooting performance allowed the Fighting Irish to key in on Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach on the interior, fueling the defensive end of their late run.

On the season, Duke is still a talented 3-point shooting team – Proctor and Isaiah Evans are both shooting over 40% from deep, and Knueppel has posted three nights with four made triples. Should this backcourt become more comfortable shooting without volume — taking advantage of the looks that develop when the ball runs through Flagg — the Blue Devils could begin to see their offense elevated to the nation-leading level of their defense.

The wing battle: The star power in Tuesday’s contest rests on the wing. In Miami’s end, Cleveland is the volume scorer in the Pack’s absence. His 6-foot-7 frame paired with an effective shot from deep makes him a versatile scorer. In the six games since Pack’s injury, Cleveland has scored over 20 points in four.

The rising star for the Hurricanes will likely see a matchup with Flagg, who is still in the national spotlight after a career-high 42 points against Notre Dame. A career night for the freshman phenom, Flagg undoubtedly demonstrated his ability to effectively produce at all three levels. On the defensive end, the projected no. 1 overall top NBA Draft pick nationally. Flagg ranks third in defensive rating and defensive box plus/minus, as well as fifth in win shares per/40 minutes, according to Sports reference. Expect to see Cleveland and Flagg around the ball for much of the night – coming out dominant in this matchup could grab momentum for either side.

Rounding out the defense: A potential disruptor to Duke’s rotation is Maliq Brown’s status. Brown left Saturday’s game with a right knee injury. Although he returned to the bench in the second half, the Syracuse transfer will be out for an extended period of time and miss Tuesday’s game. While he may not fill the stat sheet, Brown’s exceptional ability to draw deflections and put pressure on the ball has been a critical aspect of the Blue Devils’ No. 2 defensive rating, according to KenPom.

In Brown’s absence, expect to see Jon Scheyer turn to the inexperienced Patrick Ngongba II to fill minutes at the five. While he’s certainly talented, the 6-foot-11 center is still a rookie prone to defensive lapses and foul trouble — a point the Hurricanes’ frontcourt might be able to exploit. A clean sweep from Maluach and Ngongba down low combined with a consistent effort all round at the defensive end will be needed to help fill the potential void.