X factor: Duke basketball vs. Georgia Tech

In their first home game since Jan. 19 and since head coach Mike Krzyzewski notched win No. 1,000, the No. 4 Blue Devils will host Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Before each game this season, the Blue Zone will select a player on both teams that could make the difference for their respective squads:

Duke: forward Amile Jefferson

Through all of the turmoil and excitement of the last couple of week, one potentially huge development for the Blue Devils is the evolution of Jefferson’s low-post game. Although he was quiet in last week's test at top-10 opponents Notre Dame and Virginia, Jefferson had scored in double figures in three of his previous four games. Jefferson went 20-of-30 from the field during the stretch and also had 31 rebounds. Against a team that does most of its damage inside and boasts big men Demarco Cox and Maryland transfer Charles Mitchell—who both weigh more than 265 pounds—a solid performance from Jefferson could take pressure off star center Jahlil Okafor.

In addition to finding openings in the pain offensively, the 6-foot-9 forward will be a big part of Duke's bid to slow down Georgia Tech's leading scorer Marcus Georges-Hunt. Regardless of whether or not the Blue Devils play man-to-man or zone, constant communication and rotations will be key and Jefferson could be a big help facing an opponent that will likely force Duke to play with multiple big men for most of the game.

Georgia Tech: forward Charles Mitchell

The Marietta, Ga., native had 18 points and 11 rebounds against N.C. State in Georgia Tech's last game after totaling only 12 points the previous three games combined. Mitchell—who has started 18 games and is a big part of the Yellow Jackets' frontcourt rotation—is no stranger to facing the Blue Devils and will look to build on the 12-point, six-rebound effort he had against Duke last year on his new team.

If the 6-foot-8, 269-pound forward can avoid picking up cheap fouls against Okafor and attack the Blue Devils' leading scorer on the other end of the court, Georgia Tech could be able to surprise the No. 4 team in the nation. The Yellow Jackets are just 1-8 in league play, but seven of the losses have come by seven points or less, so don't be surprised if Duke finds itself in a dogfight if it lets Mitchell and Georges-Hunt get going. But if Mitchell is held in check by Jefferson and Okafor, Georgia Tech will likely have a tough time bettering its 19.8-point average margin-of-defeat in its last four trips to Cameron Indoor Stadium.