Duke basketball: 5 questions for the Blue Devils against Wake Forest

Duke takes on Wake Forest on Saturday for the chance to move up the ladder in the standings. Here are five important questions that could determine the outcome of the game.

Which role player for Wake Forest should Duke be concerned about most?

The Demon Deacons have two leading scorers in Keyshawn Woods and Bryant Crawford. Combined, the pair averages 30.4 ppg and is the focal points of every game plan.

But when it comes to upsets of these proportions, it’s usually one or multiple role players that has a huge performance. In the case of Wake Forest, they have four players who currently score between 7.5-9.6 ppg. Three of them are guards in Mitchell Wilbekin, Chaundee Brown, and Brandon Childress, while Doral Moore is the team’s starting center.

Each player has had their moments this season. Moore has four double-doubles on the season, including a 17 point, 17 rebound performance against Drake. Wilbekin is a consistent scorer and shoots 46% from deep. The others each have played well so far in ACC play, with Brown scoring 20 versus Boston College and Childress tying a season-high 17 points in the last game versus Virginia Tech.

The most consequential player for Wake Forest is probably going to be the 7’1 center Moore, considering that he has to deal with the formidable frontcourt for Duke. A look at the roster shows that the Demon Deacons are relatively thin up front, with 7’0 freshman Olivier Sarr the only other big that receives playing time. If he plays well, Wake has a shot in this game.