STARTERS
Point guard: N.C. State's Lorenzo Brown, 6-5, So. vs. Duke's Tyler Thornton, 6-1, So.
Brown is second in the ACC in assists, averaging 6.7 per game. If the Wolfpack is to upset the Blue Devils, Brown will have to rise to the occasion. In N.C. State's 74-55 loss at North Carolina on Jan. 26, Brown struggled to run the offense with any consistency. Thornton has seen the majority of the playing time at point guard for Duke in recent games and will be charged with shutting Brown down defensively.
EDGE: NCSU
Guard: Scott Wood, 6-6, Jr. vs. Seth Curry, 6-2, Jr.
After a bit of a slump, Curry has put together three solid efforts in a row, hitting 11 3-pointers in his last three games while scoring 22, 15 and 19 points against Miami, UNC and Maryland, respectively. On the other end, it will be interesting to see if Wood can get quality looks against Duke's perimeter defense, which has been suspect at times this season. Wood is making 43.7 percent of his 3-pointers and is N.C. State's leading scorer.
EDGE: Even
Guard: N.C. State's C.J. Williams, 6-5, Sr. vs. Duke's Austin Rivers, 6-5, Fr.
N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried said the Wolfpack will employ a team approach to try to slow down Rivers, who torched UNC for a career-high 29 points last Wednesday. "That's not going to fall on one guy," Gottfried said. "... It's going to be a collective effort for us." Williams is a capable 3-point shooter, making 36.5 percent of his attempts this season, but his most important task will be slowing down Rivers when he is matched up against him.
EDGE: Duke
Forward: N.C. State's C.J. Leslie, 6-8, So. vs. Duke's Ryan Kelly, 6-11, Jr.
Leslie is second on N.C. State in scoring behind Wood, averaging 13.0 points per game. His athleticism could pose problems for Duke, although Kelly will have a size advantage. Like many of the matchups, there isn't necessarily a lot to distinguish the two players. Kelly has struggled to hit shots in his last two home games, and Miles Plumlee could take some of his playing time against the Wolfpack.
EDGE: N.C. State
Forward: N.C. State's Richard Howell, 6-8, Jr. vs. Duke's Mason Plumlee, 6-10, Jr.
The players' stats are nearly identical, with Plumlee averaging 11.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game while Howell averages 11.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Plumlee has had a hard time with a couple opposing big men in recent weeks, with Miami's Reggie Johnson and UNC's Tyler Zeller both having strong outings on the offensive end against Plumlee.
EDGE: Even
BENCH
N.C. State's DeShawn Painter, 6-9, Jr., Alex Johnson, 5-10, Grad. vs. Duke's Miles Plumlee, 6-10, Sr.; Andre Dawkins, 6-4, Jr., Quinn Cook, 6-0, Fr. and Josh Hairston, 6-7, 235, So.
Plumlee is coming off a 22-rebound effort against Maryland, which invoked comparisons to the way Brian Zoubek came on strong at the end of his Duke career. Dawkins hasn't done a whole lot in the last two weeks, hitting only six shots from the floor in the Blue Devils' last four games, although he's streaky and one never knows when he's going to deliver a big game. Still, it seems more realistic that Duke's reserves will have a significant effect in the game than N.C. State's. The Wolfpack usually relies on its starters to carry it.
EDGE: Duke
INTANGIBLES
N.C. State needs a big win to bolster its NCAA tournament credentials, but one has to wonder if it can do that in Cameron. Even if Duke hasn't been quite as strong at home as usual this season, the Wolfpack still hasn't won in Durham since 1995. If one considers the fact Mike Krzyzewski was on leave for that game, N.C. State hasn't beaten a Coach K-led Duke team at Cameron since 1988.
EDGE: Duke
