The key three: Duke basketball vs. Virginia

The Blue Devils will face off against a hungry Virginia squad tonight at 9 p.m. in Charlottesville. This game has weighty tournament implications for both teams as Duke continues its bid for a No. 1 seed while the Cavaliers hope to get off the bubble. Here the keys for Duke to avoid an upset tonight:

Setting the pace:

It's no secret that this year's Duke team likes to get out and score the basketball. If you include Ryan Kelly, five Blue Devils currently average in double figures, led by Mason Plumlee with an impressive 17.5 points per game. As a team, Duke is tallying 78.9 points per game, holding their opponents to a mere 64.9 points per game. Virginia, on the other hand, likes to play a more controlled half-court brand of basketball. Head coach Tony Bennett's squad averages only 65.0 points a game, but the Cavalier's commitment to team defense has paid off thus far: they are allowing opponents only 54.0 points per game this season. Duke will hope to get out in transition and look for a game scoring in the 70s or 80s, while Virginia will try to limit possessions and hope for a final in the 60s.

Not your average Joe:

Averaging 16.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, Joe Harris is one of Coach Krzyzewski's favorite players to watch. The junior guard out of Chelan, Wa. is deceivingly athletic and can flat out score the ball. Rasheed Sulaimon and Amile Jefferson will likely be among the Blue Devils checking Harris; expect Duke to deny Harris the ball and limit his touches just like they did Virginia Tech's Erick Green a short week ago. Akil Mitchell is the only other Cavalier averaging in double figures (with 12.6 points per game), so shutting down Harris will severely limit Virginia's options. On the other hand, if Harris is able to get going early, it could be a long night for the Blue Devils.

Balanced attack:

One of the reasons Duke's offense has been so successful lately has been its establishment of an efficient (and occasionally dominant) inside game. When Mason Plumlee and Josh Hairston are able to draw the defense in, it creates easy shots for the deadly backcourt posse of Seth Curry, Rasheed Sulaimon, Quinn Cook, Alex Murphy, and Tyler Thornton. If Duke's bigs can gain a foothold down low against the likes of Akil Mitchell and Darion Atkins, it may stretch the defense of Virginia to an early breaking point.