Duke bounced back from a disheartening loss to archrival North Carolina with a solid victory against Georgia Tech Sunday. The Blue Devils will look to sustain that momentum Wednesday night, as Virginia Tech will make the trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Zone gives one player that could be the difference in the game for each team:
Duke: Forward Wendell Carter Jr.
Playing without fellow freshman Marvin Bagley III for the first time Sunday, Carter thrived as the Blue Devils' premier threat on the interior. The Atlanta native poured in 19 points while grabbing 10 rebounds, collecting his sixth double-double in his last nine games.
The freshman big man should have his share of opportunities playing against a Virginia Tech team with just one rotation player taller than 6-foot-6. Carter will need to step out on the defensive end and protect the perimeter. The Hokies shoot nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc, and the Blue Devils have given up their fair share of open looks throughout the season.
On the offensive end, if Carter does indeed have a mismatch on Wednesday, he’ll need to go to the basket and look to draw contact. After a 1-for-4 outing for the charity stripe against Virginia, Carter has been nearly perfect in his last four games, converting 18-of-20 attempts from the line.
Virginia Tech: Guard Justin Robinson
The Hokies have an incredibly balanced rotation, with its top-five scorers separated by less than 2.5 points per game.
Robinson has emerged as the leader with 13.8 points per contest after a dominant three game stretch in which he’s averaged 24.7 points, including a 20-point performance in Virginia Tech’s victory against now-No. 1 Virginia Saturday.
Although he has found success scoring, Robinson will need to take better care of the ball against the Blue Devils, which have thrived in the fast break this season. The Manassas, Va., native has turned the ball over five times in each of his last two games, something he will need to clean up if the Hokies want to take care of business on the road.
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Digital Strategy Director for Vol. 115, Michael was previously Sports Editor for Vol. 114 and Assistant Blue Zone Editor for Vol. 113. Michael is a senior majoring in Statistical Science and is interested in data analytics and using data to make insights.