Third key: Duke's men's basketball will have to attack Indiana early and often on Tuesday night

The Duke will host Indiana at 9:30 pm. Tuesday night as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The Blue Zone examines three keys for the contest:

Give the tone early

Indiana had a victorious victory against the University of California, Davis on Friday, by returning to 28-3. At the same time, Duke's recent return to Gonzaga was disappointing in the final setback of the Maui Invitational Tournament Final Tournament. It was only the first game of this season in which the Blue Devils never really took control, but a rebound match should be the team's next game. It's time for Duke to reverse his fortune.

Romeo Langford, rookie phenomenon from Indiana, faces the Blue Devils. Duke must close it, and close it early. The long guard game resembles R.J. Barrett's, with a clever handling of the ball and a smooth finish at the edge. Although seemingly devoid of emotion on the ground, Langford is subject to bad decisions. He has made 15 turnovers this season, most of them within the team. His three-point shot also leaves a lot to be desired, converting only 26.1% of his attempts from downtown to now. Duke has the tools needed to remove Langford and the Hoosiers have few threats to score beyond their lone superstar rookie.

From a purely athletic point of view, Indiana is unparalleled at all positions. If a Blue Devil press could get the Hoosiers out, Duke could put the match in the first half and find the mojo he needed. Once in place, the Blue Devils will have little chance of conceding their lead to a smaller, less dynamic attack in Indiana.

Attack backups

Langford will be on demonstration Tuesday. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, Duke's Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish will do the same. These two homes may be identical in dignity, but the range of Blue Devil is superimposed while that of Indiana is seriously impoverished.

Injuries have hindered Indiana both inside and out this season. Senior Guards Devonte Green and Zach McRoberts have seen no action since November 9, and freshman Rob Phinisee and second-year Al Durham have not prospered instead. The 6-foot-10 striker De'Ron Davis, who scored 16 points against Duke last year, is recovering from a torn ACL and only played a few minutes back in the final game. Striker Sophomore Justin Smith played a little in his place. Smith's vulnerabilities were exposed during Hoosiers' loss to Arkansas, while he shot 1 to 6 and was simply oversized by the Razorbacks.

The Langford duo and senior striker Juwon Morgan took charge of points, averaging 18.5 and 17.5 points per game, respectively. They each have the ability to score to beat Duke on the offensive, but the Hoosiers do not have the perimeter defenders to prevent entry into the lane, where Williamson and Barrett make their living. The rock-rimers will not miss in the absence of the presence inside Davis. Indiana's last highest game was Morgan, who is only 6-foot-8. This could be the cure for a young Duke team in the dumps.

Full madness

The Hoosiers have never won at Cameron Indoor Stadium, but they have a lot of company. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils own their own field, having not lost a match without a conference since 2000. It is unlikely that Indiana, unclassified, will change the given. Expect Duke's student section to be at the top of its screaming strength and Cameron Crazies do not like the underdogs. This does not bode well for the inexperienced Phinisee and Langford, as detached as they may seem. The competition at the Cameron Indoor Stadium is expected to be the toughest Hoosiers event to date, and is unlikely to succeed.