X factor: Duke basketball vs. Michigan

No. 10 Duke looks to bounce-back from a loss to then-No. 4 Arizona at the NIT Season Tip-Off with a victory over No. 22 Michigan in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge tonight at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Before every basketball game, we’ll break down a player on each team who could be the difference-maker in the upcoming contest.

Generic Script

‘Sheed’s play has been somewhat up-and-down this season, and he’s yet to find his shooting touch from last year. Still, with Hood and Parker drawing so much attention from the opposition, Sulaimon has many opportunities to drive and thrive against isolated defenders. He can create his own shot about as well as anyone on the team, and against a Michigan unit that’s tough defensively—especially with John Beilein’s unique 1-3-1 zone look—his versatility and ability to score from the perimeter and in the lane will be crucial. Additionally, he has enough length and athleticism to bother Michigan leading scorer Nik Stauskas at the other end. The last time the Blue Devils faced the Wolverines was in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, with Nolan Smith leading the Duke charge—look for ‘Sheed to provide his best imitation of NdotSmitty Tuesday in Cameron.

Michigan: guard Nik Stauskas

Picking the leading scorer for a team as the X factor isn’t the most sexy choice, but if Nik Stauskas has a big game for Michigan Tuesday night, Duke will be in trouble. While the Blue Devils’ struggles on the glass have been well-documented, they must now compete against a team that sports—beyond Jon Horford and Mitch McGary in the post—a dynamite perimeter option. Stauskas, shooting 47.4 percent from beyond the arc this season and contributing more than 20 points per game, could pose some problems stretching the Duke defense. As a 6-foot-6 sharpshooter, Stauskas presents a unique matchup problem for Duke—he’s can shoot over Quinn Cook and Tyler Thornton and drive by Rodney Hood and Jabari Parker, or at least create other mismatches that way. Whether Duke relies on Andre Dawkins, Rasheed Sulaimon, Matt Jones or a combination thereof to slow down the Mississauga, Ontario native will be fascinating. The last perimeter threat the Blue Devils faced was Trevor Releford for Alabama, who got into foul trouble early and never found a rhythm—Duke would be thrilled with a similar result here.