After a thrilling last second win Saturday against Virginia, No. 20 Duke continues its toughest stretch of the season with a rivalry game at No. 5 North Carolina. The Blue Devils enter the game on a four-game win streak marked by some of their best play of the year. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels have won two straight after back-to-back losses, and will look to avenge their pair of losses to Duke last season. Before the game, the Chronicle takes a look at one player from each team who could be the difference maker in the upcoming contest.
Duke: guard Matt Jones
In the Blue Devils' biggest game of the season to date Saturday against Virginia, Jones delivered, nailing 5-of-6 shots—including four triples—en route to a 14-point performance. But the junior's biggest contributions came on the other end as he defended Cavalier standouts Anthony Gill and Malcolm Brogdon throughout the contest, and was a reason why the two combined to shoot just 12-of-27 from the floor.
But the road doesn’t get any easier for Jones. Expect the DeSoto, Texas, native to be matched up on North Carolina standout guard Marcus Paige for some portion of the contest. Paige is a gifted scorer and passer and ranks second on the team in points per game and assists per game with averages of 13 and 3.7 respectively. If not Paige, Jones could find himself matched up against forward Justin Jackson, who stands three inches taller than him.
For Duke to come back to Durham with its win streak at five—including three straight wins against ranked opponents—the Blue Devils need Jones to make an impact on both ends of the floor. The best scenario for the team would be if the junior finds his stroke early and repeats the performance he had against Virginia with great spot-up shooting, and tremendous defense.
North Carolina: forward Brice Johnson
Johnson is one of two players—the other being Wake Forest’s Devin Thomas—who is averaging a double-double in ACC play. The senior is currently averaging 16.6 points and 10.4 rebounds since conference play has started, and with an average of 2.6 offensive rebounds per game, Johnson has a knock for finding the ball near the hoop.
With senior Amile Jefferson still sidelined by a foot injury, the Blue Devils have struggled with their interior game. The only player on Duke's roster with the size and ability to match Johnson is graduate student Marshall Plumlee. When Plumlee comes out of the game, freshman Brandon Ingram has the height to guard Johnson, but is nearly 40 pounds lighter than his Tar Heel counterpart.
If Plumlee gets into foul trouble early or gets fatigued, Duke could be in major trouble. But if Plumlee can slow down the Orangeburg, S.C., native enough to limit him on the low block and hold the Tar Heels to just one shot as a team, the Blue Devils have a chance of stealing a victory.
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