NCAAB Game Preview - Boston College at Duke

Tue Dec 31, 2019 6:00 PM EST

Duke seems to be clicking again as it enters another phase of the season.

It's all Atlantic Coast Conference games from here until the middle of March for No. 2 Duke, starting with Tuesday night's game against visiting Boston College in Durham, N.C.

The Blue Devils (11-1, 1-0 ACC) have put together a five-game winning streak, doing so even while point guard Tre Jones watched from the bench in the past two games because of a mild foot sprain.

Freshman big man Vernon Carey Jr. has been rolling, posting eight consecutive double-doubles until having 19 points and six rebounds in a win over Brown on Saturday.

"We've just got to find ways to win ultimately, even if something is not working for us," Duke forward Jack White said. "We've got to be able to adjust and still be able to get the job done."

Boston College (8-5, 2-0) has done just that while winning four games in a row, starting with a 73-72 victory at Notre Dame.

So despite losses by double-digit margins to Belmont, Saint Louis, Richmond and Northwestern, the Eagles are in position to become the first team to win three ACC games this season.

Boston College has been 3-0 in ACC play just twice, achieving that most recently in 2007-08 by defeating Maryland, Wake Forest and Miami. The Eagles ended up 4-12 in regular-season league play that season.

Much of this game could be about point guards.

The decision to keep Jones out of Saturday's game against Brown was described as precautionary by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.

"The first afternoon when we were back (from a holiday break), we had no contact, just a lot of shooting and running and he did everything," Krzyzewski said. "He felt pretty good after but still not completely sure."

This will be a return to Cameron Indoor Stadium for well-traveled Boston College guard Derryck Thornton. He began his college career playing for the Blue Devils as a freshman before transferring to Southern California. He's back in the ACC as a graduate transfer.

He started 20 games as Duke's point guard in 2015-16 and averaged 7.1 points per game. The Blue Devils were 15-5 in the games he started.

It comes full circle for him with this game, although there will be a February rematch in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

"I feel like I've learned so much about both (basketball and life)," Thornton said. "I think life gives you a lot of up and downs, and so does the game. You know, it's your attitude and how you approach it, and I feel like I've learned that in my time as an athlete and as a man."

Thornton tops Boston College in scoring with 13.8 points per game. He and forward Steffon Mitchell are the only players on the team to start all 13 games.

The Eagles are counting on experience to carry them through the rigors of the season. It hasn't been easy as senior forward Nik Popovic (11.8 points per game) has missed the past four games with back spasms and is said to be out indefinitely.

"I think that the older guys, Derryck has played a ton of games ... Steffon Mitchell is a junior but he's played so many minutes, he's practically a senior," coach Jim Christian said. "Those guys have to get the team through the tough times."

Duke leads the all-time series 21-3.

--Field Level Media