The key three: Duke basketball vs. Maryland

In what could be Duke basketball's last trip to College Park for a long time, the No. 2 Blue Devils will tip off against Maryland at 6 p.m. at the Comcast Center.

Read: A preview of Duke-Maryland game looking back at the last meeting and talking with Terrapin head coach Mark Turgeon about the matchup.

Can Len find his form?

Alex Len, averaging 12.5 points per game, hasn't broken that number in his last five games. The 7-foot-1 center is among the most talented players in college basketball, but that talent is still raw. He pulled down 10 boards in the team's previous meeting against the Blue Devils, but also failed to make an impact on the offensive end, finishing with just eight points. Mason Plumlee's post defense has been suspect lately, especially when he has been in foul trouble. Len must look to exploit that, going hard after Plumlee and forcing him into committing silly fouls, which will open up scoring opportunities for him as the game progresses.

The rested Terrapins vs. the weary Blue Devils

Coach K alluded to this in his early-week press conference last week, but Duke's schedule has been a grind. This marks Duke's third game in seven days, beginning last Sunday on the road against Boston College—a one-point victory—and continuing with Wednesday's game against North Carolina. Both were tough games and the travel to Boston College was hectic given the big snow storm... and after following that up with a high-energy game against the Tar Heels, it would be understandable if this Duke team is a bit tired. Maryland, on the other hand, hasn't played since Sunday. That has given them not only a full week of rest, but an entire week to scout the Blue Devils and develop a game plan.

This particularly doesn't bode well for a team that has struggled to come out hot its last two games and needs that sort of early energy.

'It’s ‘Sheed’s time to shine, the sequel:

With Ryan Kelly sidelined, Duke’s offense has often looked stale without their senior captain opening up the floor at the power forward position, challenging defenses with his ability to score from deep. The one player who might really have the chance to help open up the offense is Rasheed Sulaimon, who owns the potential to be Duke’s most dynamic scorer. We saw that when the Blue Devils came back in Cameron against Ohio State with ‘Sheed scoring all 17 of his points in the Duke rally.

‘Sheed hit a major five game slump recently, averaging 6.4 PPG in five games from Dec. 29-Jan. 12. But he appears to have bounced back with 15- and 16-point performances against Georgia Tech and Miami. Coaches, players on the team and others call ‘Sheed Duke’s best breakdown player—like Austin Rivers last year, he has the skills to break down a defense, hitting a shot or beating a defender off the dribble. He needs to step up for Duke to prove dangerous in the long run with Kelly sidelined.

So is it a coincidence that 'Sheed had his best game of the year? Well, I'll let you decide.

Either way, 'Sheed vs. Dez Wells is the other key matchup in this game, besides Len-Plumlee. Wells began the game against Duke hot, grabbing a few boards and notching some early points against 'Sheed, who was quickly sent to the bench. How did he respond? He made the Cameron Crazies start chanting "HOLY 'SHEED."

The issue, however, is that 'Sheed has been a much different player on the road. This is an important time for him to try and fix that.