X Factor: Duke basketball vs. Indiana

After easily handling Utah State 85-52 Sunday, No. 7 Duke looks to extend its four-game winning streak against Indiana in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Blue Devils (6-1) have shown signs of improvement during the recent stretch after their early loss to top-ranked Kentucky, while the Hoosiers (5-2) will come in looking to rebound from losses to Wake Forest and UNLV in the Maui Invitational. The Blue Zone takes a look at one player from each team who could be the difference in the game:

Duke: guard Luke Kennard

Despite struggling with his jumper early in the season, Kennard continued to receive playing time due to his hustle and effort on the floor. But Sunday, Blue Devil fans got a taste of how special a player Kennard can be when he's hitting shots from the perimeter. Against the Aggies, Kennard poured in a career-high 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor, including four three-pointers. 

With only freshman Thomas Bryant listed above 6-foot-9, Indiana will likely pack the paint to contain big men Marshall Plumlee and Amile Jefferson on the boards. With the extra attention paid to Grayson Allen's drives to the basket, Kennard should find open looks out on the perimeter. If the Franklin, Ohio native can knock his shots down just as he did a game ago, Duke could stretch a suspect Hoosiers defense out to the perimeter and take advantage on drives to the basket—something Indiana has struggled to defend all season.  

Indiana: guard Nick Zeisloft

In the Hoosiers' loss to UNLV, the senior guard shot 5-of-7 from beyond the arc and finished with 17 points. Zeisloft is Indiana head coach Tom Crean’s instant-offense option off the bench and could be who Crean turns to if his starters struggle. 

Look for Grayson Allen or Luke Kennard to match up with Zeisloft throughout the game. But if Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski is forced to switch to a zone, the guard has the ability to find the holes in the defense and knock down the open three. Zeisloft has made his mark as a three-point specialist and has connected on 18 of his 33 attempts from distance this season. 

The Blue Devils have been able to take advantage of poor three-point shooting by their opponents in recent games, but the Hoosiers—and especially Zeisloft—prevent a different level of challenge. If Duke begins to give up open three-pointers, a talented Indiana team could begin to feel that an upset is in the making.