Is State Ready for Duke?

Duke at N.C. State Saturday is not a slam-dunk for the Blue Devils. I don’t see that at all.

State is more athletic than Duke, but they’ve yet to prove they can beat a good team at home or away. Duke, meanwhile, has only played one decent team, Georgia Tech, on the road.

Duke will come into the hostile RBC Center coming off two straight wins over Miami and Wake Forest -- maybe the two worst teams in the ACC. Is Duke back? Well, they beat two poor teams soundly to go to 2-2 in the ACC.

Now, State also pummeled the poor Deacons and the Pack has had a week to get ready for Duke.

Will senior point guard Engin Atsur, who keeps injuring that left hamstring, be able to play?

“I would say there’s a chance,” State Coach Sidney Lowe said. "What percentage, I can’t say.”

Even if Atsur does play, how good will he be? I thought it was a huge mistake to play him 31 minutes two weeks ago when he finally returned against Boston College after missing nine games. He plays longer than he should, and boom, he’s hurt again.

State has players who know how to score, and they have some athletes who can give Duke some trouble, and State is rested and ready. State would love to try and just outscore Duke. The Blue Devils of 2007 will not play that kind of game. They don’t have the horses for it, and unlike Duke teams of the past, they have trouble imposing their will.

Duke is playing with more confidence though. Offensively, they do still struggle, but let’s face it, the Pack doesn’t defend well. Josh McRoberts does a lot for Duke. I believe he needs to score more, but he seems content to try to play the all-around game, which he’s doing pretty well. Up-and-down Greg Paulus was up against Wake Forest. State does have quickness that will bother him. And Ben McCauley’s a handful inside.

N.C. State is very prone to turn the ball over, and Duke will put a lot of pressure on whomever is running the Pack point. Gavin Grant is good, but he is out of position when he plays the point and is a turnover waiting to happen. Duke’s defense is why they are 15-3.

Depth is usually a big factor with State, but Duke does not use much of its bench either, although their bench is better than the Pack’s

It will be interesting to see how Duke plays in a very hostile building against a team and its fans that will be looking for blood. And yes, the Devils have a penchant for turning it over themselves.

Duke’s young players haven’t faced a crowd like they’ll face on Saturday. Keeping their poise will be a huge key for them.

Duke will come and play with intensity. That’s their trademark, that’s Mike Krzyzewski’s trademark. State has to match that intensity and let the Blue Devils know that the Pack knows this is not a Duke team of the past. State needs to let the Devils know early that the D-U-K-E jersey won’t guarantee a win. It will be up to State to try to act tough Duke but to do it smartly.