After winning three straight, Duke and its defense seem to be peaking at the right time. In their last two wins, the Blue Devils shut down both Virginia Tech and Clemson, marking the first time since 2015 that they have held two consecutive conference opponents to fewer than 60 points.
Duke will welcome Louisville to Cameron Indoor Stadium Wednesday at 9 p.m. The Blue Zone gives one player from each team that could be the difference in the game:
Duke: Guard Gary Trent Jr.
Louisville is a very strong defensive team, but has been relatively more vulnerable from beyond the arc than inside the paint. That could open the door for Trent to continue his hot shooting. Although the freshman was a little off against Clemson, he has still shot nearly 50 percent from long range in conference play.
If Trent can get back on his tear, he and Grayson Allen could continue to be a two-headed monster beyond the arc. If the Blue Devils want come away with a win, they will have to be strong from downtown, especially if Marvin Bagley III remains out of the lineup with knee sprain.
Louisville: Forward Ray Spalding
Duke’s newly-minted matchup zone defense has helped it nail down opposing 3-point shooters. But it wasn't quite as strong against post players against Clemson. Six-foot-9 forward Elijah Thomas was efficient in scoring 13 points and grabbing 15 boards for the Tigers Sunday, helping them outrebound the Blue Devils.
A 6-foot-10 forward nearly averaging a double-double, Spalding could be a similar force for the Cardinals Wednesday. Spalding is fresh off a sparking performance against UNC in which he dropped 18 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, and will look to continue that momentum against Duke.
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Managing Editor 2018-19, 2019-2020 Features & Investigations Editor
A member of the class of 2020 hailing from San Mateo, Calif., Ben is The Chronicle's Towerview Editor and Investigations Editor. Outside of the Chronicle, he is a public policy major working towards a journalism certificate, has interned at the Tampa Bay Times and NBC News and frequents Pitchforks.