It’s an all-North Carolina matchup in the ACC as Duke heads out to Wake Forest; have the Demon Deacons got something brewing or do the Blue Devils keep rolling?
TV schedule: Saturday, January 25, 4:30 pm ET. ESPN
Arena: LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Almost nothing has gotten in the way of Duke (16-2) this season and the ACC schedule seems like child’s play to this team. After November losses to Kentucky and Kansas, Duke has engaged on quite the long winning streak which includes a perfect 8-0 start to ACC play. The Blue Devils have won nearly every game in this long streak by double-digits outside of their great win over Auburn; does the streak continue past this weekend?
The conversation about the Blue Devils obviously starts with Cooper Flagg (19.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 4.1 apg), the freshman forward who was the top-rated recruit in the nation and likely goes atop next year’s NBA Draft. He’s done a bit of everything for Duke, even putting up 42 points in a win last week. This talented freshman class has also seen great production from Kon Knueppel (12.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.7 apg), a fellow 5-star recruit who’s done great work all year long. Junior guard Tyrese Proctor (11.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg) continues to do great work leading this offense even if he doesn’t get as many highlights as these star freshmen.
Duke sits #2 in the nation behind only Auburn, though they’ve risen to 1st in KenPom and currently stand 2nd in the NET. They’ve blasted their way through the first few weeks of ACC play and have shown no signs of letting up. This team quite literally makes headlines with every game and rank Top 4 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The offense in particular has been relenting during league play, scoring at least 80 points in six of their last seven games.
On the home side, Wake Forest (15-4) has had their own kind of hot streak in recent weeks. Their early win over Michigan aged pretty well and they don’t have a bad loss on this resume. These Demon Deacons look like an NCAA Tournament team and have now run off six straight wins to get to 7-1 in ACC play. This team is hoping to show that they belong near or at the top of this conference.
The recent play from Hunter Sallis (19.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.8 apg) has been outstanding during this winning streak, as the former Gonzaga guard really is proving that he’s one of the best in the nation. He’s not doing it alone, as fellow senior guard Cameron Hildreth (14.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.2 apg) is having himself a well-rounded season as well. Former Appalachian State forward Tre’Von Spillers (10.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg) has become one of the league’s top rebounders and a major weapon in this frontcourt.
Wake Forest is far from the national polls, sitting 75th in both KenPom and the NET right now. Shooting woes have plagued this team at times, with some rough showings in those four losses, though the defense is Top 30 in the nation in the efficiency rankings. There’s a lot to like about what Sallis and the other talent here have done, especially with more consistent play in recent weeks; but can they do it against a truly elite opponent?
Spillers has been great but can he and this frontcourt really contain Flagg and the elite talent from the Blue Devils? The Demon Deacons have looked much better in recent weeks, including this week’s win over North Carolina, but they’re going to need to play an inspired game on both ends. This team shot poorly again from outside the arc and need those shots to fall if they have any hope against the Blue Devils.
We’re expecting more great things from Flagg and Knueppel as this Duke team looks to continue their hot streak. Wake Forest has a chance to make things interesting if their offense shows up, but it’s hard to bet against a Blue Devils team that looks quite possibly like the best in the country. Sallis has to have an otherworldly effort or else its 13 in a row for Duke.
Prediction: Duke 75, Wake Forest 60