Duke visits the Carrier Dome on Wednesday at 7 p.m. while Syracuse (16-12, 8-7 Atlantic Coast) fights for an NCAA Tournament berth. The No. 10 Blue Devils (22-5, 10-4) enter the game riding a seven-game win streak. The Orange has lost three straight and is 2-3 against Duke since joining the ACC.

Here are thee things Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski said on the ACC coaches teleconference on Monday.

Grayson Allen and Amile Jefferson are feeling good and will play against SU

After beating Wake Forest on Saturday, Krzyzewski said he’d consider holding point guard Grayson Allen and forward Amile Jefferson out against Syracuse so they could heal their injuries. Both Allen and Jefferson are playing through nagging foot injuries.

Krzyzewski has coached Team USA since 2006 and said the difference between college and the professional level is that pro teams clinch playoff berths in the middle of the season. Since Duke is still jockeying for postseason positioning, Allen and Jefferson will play, Krzyzewski said.

“We just have to watch out for them. … There’s no question I would not have them play. Are they capable of playing? Yes,” Krzyzewski said. “But they’re not 100 percent. And I just think as we’re getting better here, it’s important to have them on the court. In a different world, I would do it differently.”

“I just saw Grayson 10 minutes ago and he was feeling really good. And Amile’s feeling good today. That doesn’t mean they’re completely well but they’re able to practice a little bit more. But then we have to careful not to use that up in a practice, but to have them more game ready. So it’s really balancing.”

Duke hasn’t played against a team like Syracuse

Although the Orange got off to a rocky 8-6 start to the year, SU has picked up its defense and improved in head coach Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone. Syracuse struggled to close out gaps and rotate properly. Throughout conference play, the Orange has picked it up and allowed more than 80 points only twice times in its last eight games.

Duke, on the other hand, hasn’t played against a zone-exclusive team like SU. That means an extra importance will be placed on game planning and walk-throughs leading up to Wednesday’s matchup, Krzyzewski said.

“With Syracuse, we’re playing a really tall, hungry, good team that plays all zone,” Krzyzewski said, “and we’ve not played against a team like that.”

Frank Jackson is a key factor off the bench

Freshman guard Frank Jackson was ranked as the No. 10 player in the 2016 recruiting class by ESPN, but that also meant he was the third-highest ranked player joining Duke, behind No. 1 Harry Giles and No. 3 Tatum. Jackson has given the Blue Devils a boost off the bench because he provides Krzyzewski with versatility at the guard spot.

Jackson is averaging 9.9 points. His offensive rating of 118.5 is third-best on Duke and 183rd in the nation, per Kenpom.com. Each of the Blue Devils’ starters is averaging more than 29 minutes per game. Jackson is averaging 23.3 and no one else on Krzyzewski’s roster is playing more than 15 minutes a game.

“I think he’s had a terrific year. He’s basically a starter for us,” Krzyzewski said of Jackson. “We look at him, the first six guys have all done things like starters. And Frank’s one of those six guys.”

Published on February 20, 2017 at 2:05 pm

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds