The top-ranked Duke Blue Devils will look to defend their home court when they open up ACC play against the Clemson Tigers.
Matchup: Clemson @ No. 1 Duke
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium- Durham, NC
Watch: Saturday at 8 PM ET on ESPN
What to Watch
Clemson: Clemson’s last win in Cameron came a whopping twenty-four years ago. If the Tigers want to pull off the massive upset on the road, Marcquise Reed is going to need to play on an elite level. Reed, the team’s leading scorer, is averaging 20.1 PPG despite injury concerns that he has faced throughout the season. Keeping the ball out of Duke’s hands will be vital to Clemson’s success. Leading rebounder Elijah Thomas will have to be on top of his game to outweigh Duke’s athleticism. Tiger Head Coach Brad Brownell has created a culture of emphasis on defense, and will look to use this to their advantage on Saturday night. This is a team that was ranked for much of the season, but has since fallen out. Getting back to a top-25 spot will be no easy task, however, as the Tigers enter the gauntlet of ACC conference play.
Duke: The key for the Blue Devils will be to not underestimate their opponent. They could very well go into the matchup thinking that as the No. 1 team in the nation, this should be a easy win. However, Coach Mike Krzyzewski has always been a coach who teaches his crew to never have this sort of outlook. The Blue Devils will be coming fresh off of a lengthy break, as they last played at Madison Square Garden against Texas Tech on December 20. It will be interesting to see how they start coming off the long delay. In the close affair with the Red Raiders, Duke experienced some difficulty with players being in foul trouble. If Clemson is able to keep it close, and can get Zion Williamson to foul out (just as TTU did), this could give the Tigers a chance. Unfortunately for Brownell’s squad, they still have to deal with stars such as Cam Reddish and R.J. Barrett. Clemson will have to put pressure on Duke defensively and force a plethora of turnovers if they want to win this duel.
The Verdict
My Prediction: Duke def. Clemson 66-54
I think that Clemson’s defense will cause trouble for Duke offensively and will be able to keep them under 70 points. However, I just can’t see Clemson pulling off the win in such a hostile environment against this ever-so-talented Duke lineup. Look for Clemson to give the potentially rusty Blue Devils a scare, but not ultimately be able to pull off the upset.
Images via:
Last Word On Pro Basketball (cover photo) https://lastwordonprobasketball.com/2018/11/25/dukes-top-prospect-could-be-cam-reddish/
247 Sports https://247sports.com/Player/82689/ProfilePhotos/Marcquise-Reed-8214182/?View=Full
New York Post https://nypost.com/2018/11/07/the-legend-of-zion-williamson-begins-nba-is-drooling-and-speechless/
