After a disappointing home loss to Pittsburgh, the Blue Devils will travel to Kentucky and take on Louisville. The Blue Zone is here with a key piece for both teams heading into the matchup:
Duke: Mark Mitchell
It is clear that the Blue Devils have struggled without their sophomore forward and typical starter. While Mitchell’s numbers have been solid, but not outstanding, the last few games have served as evidence that Duke needs his help. The squad from Durham floundered in a painfully close game against Georgia Tech before coming out on top, and dropped what should have been a relatively straightforward win against the Panthers Sunday.
Mitchell is a decent scorer, though woefully inefficient from behind the arc, and plays an important connecting role on both ends of the floor. He can feasibly — though not ideally — guard all five positions, and can facilitate offense on the other end of the floor with size, strength, and quickness that allow him to quickly find his way to the rim. His versatility and athleticism make him a key piece on both ends of the floor, and the team has clearly missed him.
Mitchell has been out several games now with a knee injury, and it remains to be seen if he will be out on the floor to help prevent what would be a catastrophic loss to the Cardinals. If he makes it out onto the floor, he will surely prove to be a big help to his Blue Devil team.
Louisville: Mike James
James, a redshirt sophomore combo guard, has been one of the few bright spots in what has otherwise been a second straight abysmal season for the Cardinals. Now in his second year as a starter, James leads his team in points per game with 14.1. His primary role is as a scorer, and his ability to convert from anywhere on the floor has been key for this group. James shoots a sharp 41.7% from behind the arc, but also has the 6-foot-5 frame required for taking the ball inside and scoring in the paint. While his overall field-goal percentage is sitting at 44.5%, that is partly due to the profound lack of help James has received from his teammates, who average just 43.6% from the field.
James, one of the few talented scorers on this team, has consistently been the key to victory for this group. When he plays well, his group stays in the game. Take, for example, a recent matchup against Miami. He put up 26 points on 5-for-6 shooting from deep, helping to lead the Cardinals to an upset victory. If he can shoot like that again against a struggling Duke team, Louisville may have a chance at this one. Otherwise, it’s likely to be another disappointing night for a disappointing team.
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