After losing a shocking road game to Boston College over a week ago, Duke basketball is back at it. Can they take advantage over a hobbled Evansville team?
TV schedule: Wednesday, Dec. 20, 7:00 p.m. ET. ESPN2
Arena: Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina
In what may be the most surprising result so far, Duke 11-1 (0-1) lost at Boston College, 89-84. The most disappointing part for the Blue Devils was that they failed in the K.Y.P. (Know Your Personnel). The vast majority of Boston College’s offense came from the perimeter, which had to have been in the scouting report.
Duke’s offense isn’t the issue, as the team is ranked third in scoring at 93.3 ppg. The defense however needs work, ranked in the 200s at 75 ppg. With one game to go before league play really begins, that has to be at the top of the coaching staff’s agenda.
What’s on the agenda for Evansville (10-2), is just simply getting healthy. The Purple Aces are currently missing two of their leading scorers, with Ryan Taylor and Dru Smith both out with foot fractures. Taylor’s absence, in particular, is a problem, averaging 21.0 ppg in six games played this season.
That leaves senior guard Blake Simmons, who averages over 12 a game while shooting over 50% from deep in the first 12 games. Now he’ll have to control even more of the offense.
Part of the reason why Evansville continues to win games has been the defense. The team gives up just 61.9 ppg, good for 15th in the nation. The Purple Aces are riding on a five-game winning streak.
With the injuries Evansville has, this appears to be a one-sided affair. However, this is a tricky and weird for college basketball, as teams are dealing with finals and long layoffs between games.
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This could go one of two ways for Duke. The anger of the loss to the Eagles could lead these guys to a basketball massacre, or the youth of the team could struggle in these unique circumstances, especially against a scrappy team. After a slow start, Duke should pull away in the final 15 minutes of the game.
Prediction: Duke 83 – Evansville 61