Playing for the first time in two weeks, No. 2 Duke begins a four-game homestand by welcoming South Carolina State to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday night. The game is the first of three over the next five days for the Blue Devils, who host Appalachian State Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and Cleveland State on Saturday at 4 p.m. on ACC Network.
About Duke
- With wins over then-No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 10 Kentucky, Duke joins Gonzaga and Seton Hall as the only teams this season with multiple wins over AP top-10 teams.
- Duke has been one of the nation’s best ball-handling teams, ranking second in the NCAA in assist/turnover ratio (+2.07), fourth nationally in fewest turnovers (8.5), eighth in turnover margin (+6.4) and 17th in assists per game — the Blue Devils lead the ACC in each category.
- Duke is forcing 14.9 turnovers, averaging 9.1 steals and owns a +99 margin in points-off-turnover scoring (152-53).
- The Blue Devils have made 23 more free throws than the opponents have attempted this season (103-80). Duke is committing 14.0 fouls per game — second fewest in the ACC and 27th fewest nationally.
- Junior Wendell Moore Jr., is the nation’s only player averaging 17.0+ points, 6.0+ rebounds, 5.0+ assists and shooting .500+ from the field (17.8/6.5/5.6/.561).
- Moore leads the ACC in assists (21st nationally), is fourth in scoring, fifth in field goal percentage and 15th in rebounding.
- Freshman Paolo Banchero is the nation’s leading true freshman scorer at 17.8 points. The ACC’s Preseason Player of the Year, Banchero is ranked in the ACC’s top 10 in scoring (17.8, fourth), free throw percentage (.838, fifth) and field goal percentage (.500, 10th).
- Sophomore Mark Williams leads the ACC and is ranked 11th in the NCAA with 3.13 blocked shots per game. Williams has swatted multiple shots six times this season and 16 times in 31 career games.
- Williams last five games: 13.2 ppg., 8.2 rpg., .667 fg% (30-of-45) with six assists, three steals and 20 blocked shots.
About South Carolina State
- South Carolina State is 3-7 to start the season, including a buzzerbeating win at South Florida, where freshman T.J. Madlock nailed an off-balance three from the corner with 0.6 seconds left for the win.
- The Bulldogs have won two straight coming into Tuesday’s game, beating USF at the buzzer and winning 67-66 over High Point on Friday in Rock Hill, S.C.
- T.J., the son of head coach Tony Madlock, is the team’s secondm leading scorer at 9.3 points, but leads the team in assists and steals.
- Sophomore Cameron Jones leads the team in scoring at 11.5 points and is shooting .380 from the floor.
- Graduate forward Edward Oliver-Hampton is the leader on the boards with seven (6.7) rebounds and 7.3 ppg.
- Tony Madlock is in his first season coaching the Bulldogs. The 25-year coaching veteran has spent time on the staffs at ArkansasmState, UTEP, Auburn, Ole Miss and Memphis, including five games (1-4) as the interim head coach at Ole Miss in 2017-18.
- The Bulldogs knocked off High Point 67-66 in the 1st Annual No Room For Racism Classic in Rock Hill, SC.
- Three Bulldogs scored in double figures with freshman forward Jemel Davis (six rebounds), graduate forward Deaquan Williams (five rebounds) and junior guard Rahsaan Williams all tossed in 12 points respectively in the win.Â
- The Bulldogs are led in scoring by Cameron Jones with 11.5 points per game, while TJ Madlock is second with 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds.
Duke vs South Carolina State
- Duke leads the all-time series over South Carolina State, 7-0.
- All seven meeting have come in the Coach K era, but Tuesday’s game marks the first since a 120-56 Duke win in 1998 at Cameron Indoor.
- The teams first met in a 1989 NCAA Tournament first-round game at the Greensboro Coliseum — a 90-69 Duke victory behind 22 points from Phil Henderson.
How to Watch
Time: 8:00 p.m. (ET)
TV: ACCN (Dave O’Brien, Corey Alexander)
Stream:Â Watch ESPN
Radio:Â Blue Devils Sports Network (David Shumate, John Roth)
Per Release
Slow Starts Continue to Plague Tar Heels