The third-ranked Blue Devils will look to run their win streak to double-digits Wednesday against Wake Forest at 8 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke defeated the Demon Deacons 73-65 in a hard-fought matchup earlier this season and will look to send senior Quinn Cook off in a winning fashion in the last home game of the season. Before every game this season, the Blue Zone will select a player on both teams that could make a difference for their respective squads.
Duke: guard Quinn Cook
The 6-foot-2 guard will play his final game in Cameron as he looks to make one last great memory on Senior Night. After struggling with inconsistency in his first three seasons, Cook’s play has taken off in his final year despite the adjustment he has had to make playing with freshman Tyus Jones.
For Cook, the biggest improvement has been his shooting from the floor. The Washington native has shot a career high 46-percent this season and his ability to shoot the three-ball has allowed the Blue Devils to space the floor effectively. Cook has been a big-time performer down the stretch of games this season, hitting key shots in the waning moments against North Carolina and St Johns earlier this season.
Yet Cook’s biggest contribution to the team this season has been the intangibles he has brought to the court. With Duke relying heavily on three freshman starters and having only eight scholarship players, Cook’s leadership has been crucial to steering the team in the right direction whenever it has shown weakness. Cook has also been key to the development of his backcourt mate Jones—who was a threat to steal his starting spot earlier this season—and has helped form one of the most dynamic backcourts in the nation.
With the Blue Devils looking to put the Deamon Decons away early, look for Cook to be aggressive both from beyond the arc and driving to the basket. As the senior’s career comes to a close, expect the Cameron Crazies to let Cook know how much his leadership and hard work has meant to the program.
Wake Forest: forward Devin Thomas
After putting up 24 points on 12-of-20 shooting in the first meeting between the teams, Thomas will look to bully Duke inside once again Wednesday. The junior has been the go-to player for the Deamon Decons in big games this season—averaging 16.3 points per game against ranked-opponents this season.
At 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds, Thomas size makes him an intimidating force in the post. However, the Harrisburg, Pa., native also has tremendous fundamentals with his back to the basket that make up for his inability to consistently score outside the paint. The Blue Devils will need to be concerned with Thomas’ ability to take advantage of his size and dominate the boards in the game.
In order for Wake Forest to stay close in this game, Thomas will need to be aggressive and energized early. If the forward is able to draw a couple of fouls early on Okafor and dominate the big man in the paint the way he did in the first matchup, the Demon Deacons could keep this game interesting into the second half. However, without a Herculean-effort from their star, Wake Forest doesn’t seem to have the other pieces inside to pull off the road upset on Senior Night.
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