Duke vs. Virginia Tech: Storylines to watch in key ACC matchup

Duke, when healthy, is arguably the best team in the country. They have a difficult test ahead, though, when they will travel to face Virginia Tech.

Following an important win in Syracuse on Saturday night, Duke now turns its attention to another ACC rival in Virginia Tech, who took care of business in a road game against Notre Dame in their last contest. This will prove to be one of tougher games of the year for this phenomenal Duke side as VT is 12-2 on their home floor. This game will boast plenty of talent from two of the leading ACC teams, who’ll battle it out for what would be a big win for either side.

This stretch of games for Duke could turn out to be the most testing of the season, as Zion Williamson remains out after his injury just 33 seconds into the Duke-UNC grudge match. How Duke continues to deal with Zion’s absence will be one of the main things to look out for, for obvious reasons. Mike Krzyzewski‘s freshman sensation has had the whole world engaged in his every move for the entirety of the season. As the biggest NBA Draft prospect since, perhaps, LeBron James in 2003, there’s no wonder all eyes are on Durham’s Blue Devils.

However, attention will focus on the rest of the Duke side while he’s sidelined. What we saw without Zion in their last game was the second-best college player, R.J. Barrett, take his game to the next level. The Canadian freshman dropped 30 points on a talented Syracuse team, making up for the loss of Zion at the center of Syracuse’s zone defense. You can expect another R.J. takeover in this matchup as he steps up to be the main man for the Blue Devils.

The way Duke lines up, though, will also be interesting to keep an eye on. Tre Jones, Cam Reddish, and RJ Barrett will be the obvious starters. However, Coach K’s decision to start Javin DeLaurier and, specifically, Alex O’Connell proved to be mastermind moves against ‘Cuse. DeLaurier was important in restricting Syracuse on their way inside, as they couldn’t get enough going, and O’Connell had a terrific night from beyond the arc, going 5-for-8. With the presence of Marques Bolden, too, Duke has plenty of ability as they look to move back to the No. 1 spot in the nation.

In terms of Virginia Tech’s chances in this game, they’ve definitely got a shot at toppling college basketball’s giants. A team that can be slept upon, at times, the Hokies are a legitimate ACC school and will be looking towards March, thinking they have just a good a chance at winning a National Championship as anyone else. With sophomore sensation Nickeil Alexander-Walker and junior beast Kerry Blackshear Jr. leading a talented roster, this game will be a very tantalizing match-up.

Alexander-Walker is a name that many NBA Draft followers will know and should get to know more as he’ll cause a big problem in the league. The guard is currently averaging 16.5 PPG, leading the Hokies. At 6’10 and 250, Blackshear Jr. has a pro-ready frame and can dominate at both ends of the floor, something that could cause Duke a lot of trouble on Saturday, as they have nobody who can match KBJ perfectly.

Ty Outlaw will also cause troubles stretching the Blue Devil defense as well. For the season he is shooting 46.3% from beyond the arc. This will be a big test for both teams, one that’ll show where they’re both at as we approach the most important month in the calendar for college ball.