Duke takes on Iowa State of the Big 12 tonight in the United Center in Chicago, Ill. Tip is set for 9 p.m., and here's what you need to know:
1. The Blue Devils overcame a big obstacle last time out with a 74-53 win over Clemson in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Tigers had crushed Duke in the teams' previous meeting--a stunning 27-point blowout at Littlejohn Coliseum in 2009--and the win against, presumably, the ACC's third- or fourth-best team is a good sign for Duke going forward. The Blue Devils face a team of equivalent stature, Georgia Tech, Saturday in Atlanta.
2. Iowa State's three losses came against mediocre teams. The Cyclones are 10-3, but none of their wins have come against good teams, and their three losses came to squads Duke would be expected to beat comfortably. The Cyclones have lost to Big 10 also-ran Nothwestern, a decent California team and Northern Iowa, which has been on the NCAA Tournament bubble the last few years.
3. Jon Scheyer gets to play a game in his hometown. Duke plays in the New York area every year, so seniors Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek have had plenty of chances to play in front of their friends and family, but the Blue Devils haven't played in Chicago since 2004. This will be a nice opportunity for Scheyer, one of the surprises of the season on a national scale, to show his hometown fans what he's all about.
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