Mark my words…Virginia Tech is a very dangerous team. Duke should be on its A-game for sure. Getting into foul trouble again might just prove lethal. We have already discussed the teams as a whole but let us dig deeper and look into the crystal ball.
The #14 ranked Duke Blue Devils (13 – 2, 2 – 0 ACC) are heading home to the Cameron Indoor Stadium to host the incoming Virginia Tech Hokies (10 – 5, 2 – 0 ACC). Duke has been as good as they come at home and the high powered Blue Devil offense should have Virginia Tech fans pretty nervous for what should already be a game in hostile territory.
While Virginia Tech will rightfully come into this game as an underdog, there is some precedence for an upset. V-Tech just pushed their way past #4 ranked Virginia and the Hokies seem to be getting things together and going in the right direction. Virginia Tech is led on offense by Zach LeDay (15 PPG on 46% shooting) but it is their team oriented approach to scoring buckets that keeps the Hokies involved. Virginia Tech also holds opponents to just 69 PPG on defense.
Duke has won four straight games since an upset loss to Utah, 77 – 75. The Blue Devils have shown cracks in their armor but by far have been as sturdy as any mid-ranked team in the country. Grayson Allen (21 PPG, 4 APG) leads Duke’s #3 ranked offense (89 PPG) and they’ll look to drop a boat load of points on Virginia Tech in this home game.
Virginia Tech has exorcised a few demons just two games into ACC play, stopping a five-game slide in its series versus North Carolina State and a seven-game skid against Virginia. The Hokies, who are 2-0 in the conference for the first time since 2006-07, will attempt to slay a much bigger beast Saturday as they try to end a 16-game losing streak at Cameron Indoor Stadium when they visit No. 10 Duke.
Behind a 57.7-percent effort from the field against one of the best defensive teams in college basketball and stellar all-around play from Zach LeDay, Virginia Tech edged the fourth-ranked Cavaliers 70-68 to open league play undefeated after two games for only the second time since joining the ACC in 2004-05. The Blue Devils, who haven’t lost at home to Virginia Tech since a double-overtime setback in 1995, opened conference play with back-to-back road wins for only the second time under coach Mike Krzyzewski on Wednesday, defeating Wake Forest 91-75. “It didn’t look good, let’s put it that way. Our guys just fought and fought,” Krzyzewski told reporters despite the fact his team shot 51.7 percent and committed only six turnovers.
The Hokies committed only eight turnovers, half as many as Virginia and leading to an unlikely 26-6 advantage in points off turnovers, one game after recording a season-low four versus N.C. State; Virginia Tech had a season-high 22 against West Virginia to close out non-conference play. The Hokies also shot a season-best 52.9 percent beyond the arc against the Cavaliers, getting an unexpected boost from LeDay (team-high averages of 14.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks), who went 3-for-4 from the 3-point line after entering the contest 2-for-12. Sharpshooter Justin Bibbs (12.1 points) regained his long-range shooting stroke, going 4-for-5 beyond the arc Monday after missing all three of his attempts versus the Wolfpack.
The Blue Devils are 5-1 since starting forward Amile Jefferson was lost indefinitely to a foot injury, all of their victories have been decided by at least 16 points over that span.
Let us bring up this quote again that I commented on in the Last time Out section. However, Krzyzewski understands his team’s margin for error is slim while relying heavily on a seven-man rotation. “There’s nobody to sub in; we’re literally on an edge all the time. Our guys have to realize that and they have to play, not conservatively, but smart,” Krzyzewski told reporters following the Wake Forest victory. Once again, Kennard is, for all intent & purpose, the bench. He is the only one to play more than eight minutes off the bench in the rotation that Krzyzewski alludes to in the quote. Jeter & Obi simply do not factor in the rotation scenario.
Even though it seems that I am addressing the Devils in a negative light at times, the truth is that all I am trying to do is ‘keep it real’. That said, Virginia Tech keeps this game competitive early but late Duke offense is way too strong. However, when all is said and done, the Blue Devils make it 7 straight games. We come away with a 95-76 win.
