X-Factor: Duke men's basketball needs to put the Hurt on the Hokies

Freshman forward Matthew Hurt has been a revelation at times for Duke this season.
Freshman forward Matthew Hurt has been a revelation at times for Duke this season.

After suffering an 88-66 beating at PNC Arena, Duke men's basketball is probably feeling hurt. But perhaps the No. 6 Blue Devils can translate that into a notch in the win column against Virginia Tech Saturday. The Blue Zone looks at two players who will make or break Duke's rematch against the Hokies:

Duke: Forward Matthew Hurt

Matthew Hurt has the ability to dominate any game. It’s only a matter if he can start hot and stay hot. With the right combination of minutes and offensive opportunities, Hurt can take Duke to the next level. He has recorded six games with 15 or more points and seven games with five or fewer points, so it really is a toss-up on which Hurt will show up on any given night. 

The 3-pointer is obviously one the biggest pieces of his game. The freshman barely trails Joey Baker for the team lead in 3-point percentage at 41.1 percent (Baker sits at 41.8 percent). Hurt's deep ball could provide the boost that Duke needs against a tough Virginia Tech perimeter defense. Despite being in a horrid stretch right now—the Hokies have gone 1-6 over their last seven games—Virginia Tech has held its opponents to 25.0 percent or less from deep in three of its past four games. If Hurt can find his rhythm and knock down shots, the Blue Devils could find themselves bursting open the game.

Virginia Tech: Guard Jalen Cone

Freshman guard Jalen Cone ranks fourth on the team in scoring at 8.0 points per game, but only seventh on the team in minutes per game at 17.3, making him one of the most offensively efficient players on the Hokies’ roster. Virginia Tech works a pretty guard heavy rotation, so when Cone does find his minutes, most likely off the bench, he’ll look to make quick work of getting to his spots and getting shots up.

No matter when he’s in the game, Cone will face stout defense from Duke guards Jordan Goldwire and Tre Jones, but Cone makes a living shooting from deep—an area that burned the Blue Devils in their last loss to North Carolina State Wednesday. The Walkertown, N.C. native has drained four long balls in each of his last two games and converted a season-high six treys against North Carolina back in late January. Getting the ball out of his hands should be a priority for Duke anytime he’s on the floor because it could be dangerous if he starts lighting it up.

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