The Blue Devils take on the Orange of Syracuse at 7 p.m. 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.
Duke: forward Amile Jefferson
Jefferson has struggled offensively in his past five games since putting up big numbers in back-to-back games against Pittsburgh and Syracuse, averaging only 5.4 points per contest. On Thursday in the loss to North Carolina, Jefferson found himself in foul trouble and only played 23 minutes, in which he scored two points and grabbed three rebounds. In the Feb. 1 matchup against the Orange, Jefferson gave the Blue Devils an important paint presence against a big, athletic Syracuse team, posting an impressive 14 points and seven rebounds. His impact was limited late however, as he fouled out of that game and did not play in overtime. Jefferson finds himself in the midst of a slump and there will be no better way to break out of it than a big game in front of the Cameron Crazies on his home court. If Jefferson can stay out of foul trouble and be productive on the boards, look for Duke to gain an advantage in the paint.
Syracuse: guard Trevor Cooney
Before the Feb. 15 contest against North Carolina State, Cooney scored in double-digits in four straight games, including a 14-point performance against Duke on Feb. 1 and a 33-point performance against Notre Dame on Feb 3. But he has only scored a total of 13 points in his last two games and shot 2-for-8 from the field in Wednesday’s loss to Boston College. Cooney has shown us his scoring potential this season and with the attention on other impact players such as C.J. Fair and Tyler Ennis, Cooney could have an opportunity to take open shots or have clear lanes to the rim.
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