Durham, NC – The fourth-ranked Duke Blue Devils put some impressive streaks on the line this afternoon, as they welcome the Florida State Seminoles to Durham for an ACC showdown at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Duke holds the nation's second-longest homecourt win streak at 44 games, In addition, the Blue Devils have claimed victory in 64 straight home games against unranked opponents. Mike Krzyzewski's squad is 4-0 in ACC play after a 91-73 win over Wake Forest this week, bringing that four-game win streak into this weekend's action.
Leonard Hamilton's Seminoles pulled off one of the biggest wins of the season, blowing out North Carolina last weekend, 90-57. FSU added an 84-70 win over Maryland on Tuesday to move to 3-1 in the ACC.
Duke has won 30 of the 37 all-time meetings, but it was FSU that won the last meeting, a 66-61 decision last year in Tallahassee.
The Seminoles' 90-point eruption against the Tar Heels certainly wasn't the norm this season, as the team comes into this contest averaging a modest 72.0 ppg. The defensive effort is what has been commonplace under Hamilton's reign. The 'Noles hold opponents to a meager 61.9 ppg and well under 40 percent shooting (.367). Three Seminoles are averaging double figures, led by Michael Snaer's 13.5 ppg. Ian Miller is next in line at 13.0 ppg, while Bernard James gives the team a legitimate low post presence, averaging 10.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Snaer once again led the way in the win over Maryland this week, netting 19 points. James added 17 points and grabbed six rebounds. Okaro White chipped in with 13 points off the bench. The Seminoles shot 47.5 percent from the field overall, including 46.2 percent from three-point range.
The Blue Devils continue to roll with superior firepower. Duke is converting nearly 50 percent from the floor (.498), over 40 percent from behind the arc (.407), while racking up 80.9 ppg. Scoring depth is apparent with five players currently averaging double figures. Freshman Austin Rivers has certainly made an immediate impact, pacing the team with 14.2 ppg. Seth Curry (12.6 ppg) and Ryan Kelly (12.6 ppg) add to the perimeter assault. Mason Plumlee handles the work down low, averaging a near double-double with 11.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Andre Dawkins (10.2 ppg) is a viable asset as well. Three Blue Devils reached the 20-point plateau in the rout of Wake Forest. Dawkins led the way with 21 points. Rivers and Kelly poured in 20 points apiece, with Kelly completing a double-double with 10 rebounds. Curry chipped in 14 points for Duke, which shot an impressive 54.2 percent from the field, bolstered by an 11-of-23 showing from three-point range.
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