At 4 p.m. Saturday, Duke heads into John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va., to face No. 8 Virginia. Here are five things to know before tipoff.
Key for ACCs
Duke’s impending matchup against Virginia marks the beginning of an oncoming slate of conference games that will do a lot to determine the ACC standings heading into the tournament, beginning March 7. As it stands, the Cavaliers are tied for the top spot in the conference with a 10-3 record—Duke, in comparison, sits at 8-5.
A victory in Saturday’s game, however, would add a safety net for the Blue Devils, helping to secure a top-four seed and a first-round bye in the ACC tournament. Last season, Duke’s regular-season title kept it out of the first two layers of the bracket, setting it up for success until its loss to Virginia Tech in the championship game. Barring any shocking upsets, Virginia should be in the position Duke was in last season—the Cavaliers have secured their spot. Duke hasn’t yet.
“I think we're still in a position where we control our own destiny, we're gonna get to play one of the top teams in our conference on Saturday, and we're still in a position where we can make something happen,” graduate center Ryan Young said in a Thursday media availability.
Saturday’s performance will either set in motion a fall from grace for the Blue Devils or a turn toward the regular-season finish that Duke wants.
Who’s getting minutes?
All season long, 7-foot freshman Kyle Filipowski has dominated, leading the team in scoring in more than his fair share of games and stacking up seven ACC Rookie of the Week accolades. But in the last few games, the leading men have been different.
In Duke’s landmark victory against North Carolina, freshman guard Tyrese Proctor took control, scoring 11 points while also conducting the Blue Devils in their slim victory. On the scoring front, though, the game was in the hands of junior captain Jeremy Roach, who sank 20 points for Duke; he was helped along by Filipowski, who added 14 of his own and matched Roach with seven rebounds. To top it all off, freshman center Dereck Lively II collected 14 boards, eight blocks, four points and two assists.
But the cards were shuffled Monday night when Duke returned to the court in the Watsco Center and showed an entirely different hand. No Blue Devil played particularly well at Miami, but graduate student Ryan Young was a silver lining, shooting 5-for-6 from the floor while Lively showed up with 11 points. The inconsistency of the rest of the roster, along with the absence of freshman forward Dariq Whitehead due to injury, means the player of the game is up in the air for Duke entering Saturday.
Rookies take on veterans
One of Virginia’s greatest strengths lies in its collective experience. The starting lineup for the Cavaliers doesn’t have a single freshman—in fact, it doesn’t even have a sophomore. A strong presence of juniors, seniors and graduate students means that the Blue Devils will be faced with a team built on rehearsal and precision.
In stark contrast, freshmen carry the load for Duke. While every player competing Saturday resides in the same division and at the same level of collegiate athletics, they span a wide variety of ages that makes the matchup look uneven.
“They have as experienced a team as there is in the country, really,” head coach Jon Scheyer said Thursday. “And yeah, they're just smart, tough and together … You have to be really solid, really disciplined. They make you pay for your mistakes on both ends of the ball.”
To challenge that kind of veteran ability, Scheyer will have to take advantage of the experience he does have, in the form of Young, Roach and graduate wing Jacob Grandison. He might also be able to use the scrappiness of his freshmen to an advantage—age alone certainly cannot stop the Blue Devils.
Depend on defense
Duke has often been known for its defense, and this year is not any different. The Blue Devils are a tough team to cross on that end of the floor.
“We’re a really good defensive team,” said Proctor. “And we know that and I think we get runs because of our defense and just staying present, staying true to what we do good.”
This skill of theirs is as crucial as ever for Saturday’s matchup. The Cavaliers are aggressive but not prolific on offense, averaging 70 points per game, with only 9.1 turnovers per game—second in the conference and significantly fewer than Duke’s 12.5 per game. Victory for Duke on Saturday will require one of its best showings of defensive energy all season—likely something that will involve big play from Lively and freshman forward Mark Mitchell, a duo that dominates defensively.
On a size front, Duke certainly carries the advantage. Virginia’s tallest player, 6-foot-11 forward Kadin Shedrick, stands two inches below Lively, who is accompanied by seven-footer Filipowski and the veteran Young.
Mental game
Duke struggles to win on the road. The difference between fans cheering for its success and a stadium packed with haters is palpable: one encourages success, the other engenders failure. The Blue Devils are well aware of the weight of their struggles outside of Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Those struggles extend beyond location, too, as a bad start has often thrown a wrench in Scheyer’s game plan. Most recently, the Blue Devils exhibited this at Miami, when a 13-1 Hurricane run to start the game turned into a 22-point loss.
“I think just remaining composed and staying mature in moments like that is pretty crucial, especially battling runs on the road. Because it could happen, teams are gonna be able to put together some scoring against us,” Young said. “And like I said, we just need to be mature about that and play through it.”
Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena is a tough place to play, far from the comfort of Cameron Indoor. If the Blue Devils are to secure a weekend as victorious as their last, they will have to tune out their surroundings and focus on playing their very best basketball.
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Sophie Levenson is a Trinity sophomore and sports features editor of The Chronicle's 119th volume.