Duke: forward Jabari Parker
In his first 12 games, Parker lived-up to the high preseason expectations, scoring 22.2 points per contest. But in his last three games, Parker has found himself in a slump, averaging only 10.3 points per game. As demonstrated in last weekend’s game against unranked Notre Dame, any road win in the ACC is going to be a hard-earned one. The Blue Devils need Parker to break out of scoring-drought and have a 20-point or better game that fans have been accustomed to seeing this reason. With fellow forward Rodney Hood scoring 27 points in each of his last two games, if Parker can complement Hood’s exceptional play with his usual numbers, it will likely be a long night for the Tigers.
Clemson: forward K.J. McDaniels
McDaniels is the Tiger’s most explosive and dynamic player, and is play easily explains why he is currently the tenth best scorer in the ACC, posting 16.5 points per game. The Birmingham, Ala. native is also Clemson’s most versatile player at 6-foot-6. He is leading the conference in blocks, with 2.9 per game, which may come in handy when guarding Duke’s own forward duo, Parker and Hood. McDaniels, along with center Landry Nnoko are both consistent rebounders and will hope to exploit a small Blue Devil line-up to control the boards and prevent second chance points. If the Tigers want to gain this marquee ACC victory, McDaniels must score, rebound and play defense as well, or even better, than he has all season.
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