While the men's basketball team eagerly awaits the game with its red-hot rivals from Chapel Hill, it will receive the opportunity to face another accomplished squad from Chestnut Hill in the meantime.
Tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Cameron, the Blue Devils (14-1) square off against non-conference opponent No. 25 Boston College (12-1), a team that has exceeded preseason expectations by running to the top of the pack in the always closely contested Big East conference. And while many of the Eagles' early season opponents could be considered "cupcakes," B.C. has proven itself by defeating perennial power Connecticut. In fact, their only loss of the season came just days ago to a young, but talented St. John's team that the Blue Devils will meet later in the season.
"To play a game like this while the conference is going on is a little bit tougher of a situation, which I wanted to put our kids through," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We do that twice with BC and St. John's and we get to see how attentive we are [and] we get to see how attentive our fans are for a Tuesday night.
"It's not a conference game, but it's a big game for us. It's a big game for the ACC."
If ACC-Big East contests from earlier in the season are any indication, this matchup should be a close one. So far, the ACC maintains a narrow, 2-1 lead over its neighbor to the North and a third win would likely go a long way in solidifying the ACC's standing as the premier conference in the nation.
Of course, Duke not only hopes to be a member of the nation's best conference, but also aims to be the nation's best team. After losing to Stanford earlier this year, the Blue Devils have embarked on an impressive five-game winning streak, which was extended Saturday in their 42-point shellacking of No. 11 Virginia.
Despite its recent dominance, though, Duke should not take the Eagles lightly. Foremost among the Blue Devils' concerns will be B.C.'s propensity to score in high numbers. The Eagles, paced by their talented guard-forward combination of six-foot-six swingman Xavier Singletary and perimeter scorer Troy Bell, average a deadly 82 points per game, meaning the contest will likely be a high-scoring affair.
Bell, in particular, will be a focal point, as last season's Big East rookie of the year. He averages 21.8 points per game, ranking him third among conference scorers. And Singletary has also been a consistent scorer for the Eagles, registering double-digit point totals in each of his last 11 games.
"They're a good team," Duke senior Shane Battier said of his team's next opponent. "They're playing with a lot of confidence now and they have a very good guard in Troy Bell. It's going to be a very good atmosphere here Tuesday night and a tough game."
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