#2 Duke (21-2) will get to have their shot at #16 Louisville (17-7) in an attempt to jump to the #1 spot next week. Duke is on a seven game winning streak and had just knocked off Virginia on the road. For Louisville, they suffer a overtime loss to Florida State, which dropped them back.
How Duke Can Win
Be physical and give all effort to offense. It is well known that Duke can score quickly and end up out-scoring opponents almost every game. Louisville has also struggled all year with shooting and defense. If Duke can just bully their way into a win, it’ll be nothing new and a sure win. This will have to be through Zion Williamson in the paint and RJ Barrett on the outside.
How Louisville Can Win
Shoot at a higher percentage and move the ball more often. Louisville’s offense hasn’t been the best this season, however, in large games it seems to show up. This will really be the case against Duke, a team that will outscore you just as fast as you blink. Shooting at a percentage of 45.7% will not be enough, so to bump it up to a 48% to 50% range will be needed.
Players to Watch
Duke: Zion Williamson will need to have an imposing pant presence to grab as many boards as possible. This will help keep the ball in the Blue Devil’s hands to score as much as possible. And with a stat line of 9.2 rebounds a game, he might get more than he expects.
Louisville: We need to see Jordan Nwora get a high scoring game to push his Cardinals ahead for a win. Nwora shoots at 46.1% this season, but this needs to increase against Duke. Watch for Jordan Nwora to have either his best game or his worst.
Score Prediction:
Duke is just too dominant for an iffy Louisville team to beat. Louisville has been playing good basketball recently, but Duke can do that more consistently and do it more often. Nwora will have a great game, but the trio of Williamson, Barrett, and Cam Reddish. Duke 85, Louisville 72
Photo Credits: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/02/louisville-duke-pitino-ncaa-march-madness
