Atlantic Coast foes will collide when the No. 14 Duke Blue Devils (13-2) play the Virginia Tech Hokies (10-5) at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Action begins at 12:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 9 and can be seen on EFC and ES3.
The Blue Devils enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Wake Forest 91-75 on Wednesday. Grayson Allen was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points on 7-for-10 shooting. The Hokies, meanwhile, are coming off a 70-68 win against Virginia on Monday. Zach LeDay led the team in scoring by accounting for 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
Brandon Ingram and Luke Kennard have been better than usual over the last five games for the Blue Devils. During that stretch, Ingram has averaged 19.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.4 steals, 1.4 blocks, and 2.6 three-pointers, while Kennard has recorded 18.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.6 three-pointers a game.
Duke could dominate the offensive glass in this matchup, as it’s ranked 23rd in the nation in OR% at 38.1%. Alternatively, Virginia Tech ranks 268th in the nation on the defensive backboards with a DR% of 67.9%. Furthermore, getting to the line could play a crucial role for the Hokies. They rank fifth in the nation in FTA rate (49.4). However, the Blue Devils are among the best in the nation at keeping opponents off the charity stripe (ranking 13th at 25.7).
Notes
Virginia Tech won its last game by a two-point margin. In games decided by a margin of three points or less, Duke is 1-1. Virginia Tech is 1-2 in close games this season.
The Virginia Tech Hokies average 71.2 possessions per game and 1.081 points per possession. The Duke Blue Devils earn fewer possessions with 70.3, but they score more points with 1.260.
The Virginia Tech Hokies average an effective field goal percentage of 49.6% this season. The Duke Blue Devils are a perfect 4-0 in games where opponents have an eFG% of 49.6% or greater.
Duke ranks 40th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.37. Virginia Tech is ranked lower at 241st with an A/TO of .94.
Duke ranks 58th in rebounds per game with 39.7 and Virginia Tech ranks 66th with 39.4 rebounds per game.
The Virginia Tech Hokies rank 49th in offensive rebounds. The Duke Blue Devils rank 166th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
On average, Duke forces a turnover rate of 19.4%. When Virginia Tech turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 4-2 record.
