When the men's basketball team faces N.C. State Saturday afternoon in Cameron Indoor Stadium, it will be coming off possibly the biggest win of the season in its 10-point comeback win over Virginia Wednesday night.
Conversely, the Wolfpack enters the weekend's noon contest having sealed its spot in the basement of the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 13-point loss to Florida State. While it is\ looking at this game from opposite ends of the spectrum, both teams consider the matchup important to the rest of the season.
At 5-7 in the league (14-10 overall), Duke is currently tied for fifth place in the ACC with the Cavaliers. A win Saturday gives the Blue Devils sole possession of fifth place, but more importantly hands the Blue Devils momentum for the rest of the regular season. The Wolfpack is in dire need of a victory to get out of the conference basement.
Saturday's game has much more impact than the first time these two teams met on Jan. 16 in Raleigh. That game is one Wolfpack fans would love to forget. Down by 10 with just over eight minutes left, Duke cut the margin to two with 16 seconds left. That's when Chris Collins' last second three pointer bounced in, sealing the Blue Devils' first conference victory of the year.
Since that game, both Duke and State have had mixed results. After the win over the Wolfpack, the Blue Devils won three out of the next four conference games, with their lone loss being a one-point squeaker at North Carolina. Yet that streak was followed by two losses on the road at Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. Duke started a new streak with the win over Virginia, and now it is looking to extend that streak to two games.
State's main problem has been its inability to win the close conference games. The loss against Duke was followed by a three-point overtime loss at Maryland and a five-point defeat against Georgia Tech. The Wolfpack has also lost by four against Wake Forest, and by two in a double overtime thriller against Virginia. Yet mixed within those close calls were two impressive wins over then-ranked Clemson and North Carolina.
Throughout the year, the Wolfpack has ridden on the shoulders of senior Todd Fuller. Three years ago, the Cameron Crowd harassed the 6-foot-10 center for his unwillingness to shoot from outside. Fuller has silenced both the Crazies and the rest of his critics with his stellar play this season. He is the league's leading scorer, averaging 21.8 points per game, while placing in the top three in shooting percentage, rebounds per game and blocks per game. The only other starter in double figures in scoring is junior forward Danny Strong with 11.9 points per game.
By the numbers, the Blue Devils are much more balanced than the Wolfpack on the offensive side. Duke has four of its five starters scoring in double figures.
As of late, the Blue Devils have been relying on the steady play of forward Ricky Price. In the win over the Wahoos, Price poured in 28 points. Since the Maryland game on Jan. 28, the forward has been one of the Blue Devils more consistent performers, joining junior Jeff Capel as the only two starters to score in double figures in each of the last five games.
The biggest concern for the Blue Devils will be staying out of foul trouble. Wednesday, the Blue Devils welcomed the return of freshman Matt Christensen from a wrist injury, while saying goodbye to junior Carmen Wallace, who is out for the year with a knee injury. Wallace's departure leaves Duke with seven players averaging almost 20 minutes per game.
Both big men, Greg Newton and Taymon Domzalski, were in foul trouble during the latter part of Wednesday's game. The duo will have the tough task of trying to stop Fuller, attempting to find a combination of aggressive play without the fouls.
With a win on Saturday, the Blue Devils will have a good chance to go on another four-game conference winning streak, with their next three games coming against lower-echelon league foes. That type of momentum will be needed down the stretch for the Blue Devils to earn a much-wanted NCAA bid.
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