Duke heads to Va. Tech for first game without suspended Grayson Allen
No. 5 Duke at Virginia Tech
When: Noon Saturday
Where: Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, Va.
TV/Radio: ESPN
Projected starting lineups
Duke (12-1, 0-0 ACC)
G Luke Kennard So. 20.4, 2.8 apg
G Frank Jackson Fr. 12.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg
G Matt Jones Sr. 7.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg
F Jayson Tatum Fr. 15.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg
F Amile Jefferson Gr. 14.2 ppg, 10.8 rpg
Virginia Tech (11-1, 0-0 ACC)
G Justin Robinson So. 11.3, 4.4 apg
G Ahmed Hill So. 14.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg
F Justin Bibbs Jr. 7.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg
F Chris Clarke So. 10.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg
F Khadim Sy Fr. 6.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg
Three things to know
▪ Duke will fare without Grayson Allen for a while. The star junior was suspended indefinitely after tripping Elon’s Steven Santa Ana on Dec. 21. Luke Kennard has shown amazing improvement this year, and the sophomore carried the load at guard play earlier this season, emerging as Duke’s best player. He leads the team with 20.4 points a game, scoring at least 20 in five of the last six contests. Freshman guard Frank Jackson could be back in the lineup with the suspension of Allen, Duke’s second-leading scorer. The rookie averages 12.3 points and 26.8 minutes a game through five starts.
▪ Amile Jefferson’s return from last season’s foot injury has been huge. The fifth-year forward averages an ACC-best 10.8 rebounds. His 64-percent shooting also leads the league, and it’s always a benefit to have that much experience on the floor.
▪ The Hokies are off to one of their better starts in years. They enter their ACC opener with one loss, a 68-65 setback to Ole Miss on Nov. 25. Virginia Tech hasn’t beaten Duke since the 2010-11 season. The Hokies have shown a lot of depth this season, as its leading scorer, Zach LeDay (16.5), is coming off the bench after a minor injury. LeDay is second with 7.5 rebounds.
Jessika Morgan
This story was originally published December 30, 2016 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Duke heads to Va. Tech for first game without suspended Grayson Allen."