Duke at Louisville: What you need to know
Duke at Louisville
When: Noon
Where: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Ky
Projected starting lineups
Duke (14-3)
Duke
Grayson Allen 15.2 ppg, 4.3 apg
Luke Kennard 20.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg
Matt Jones 8 ppg, 2.3 rpg
Jayson Tatum 17.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg
Harry Giles 5.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg
Louisville (x-x, x-x ACC)
Quentin Snider 12 ppg, 3.9 apg
Donovan Mitchell 13.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg
Ray Spalding 6.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg
Anas Mahmoud 5.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg
V.J. King 6.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg
Three things to know
▪ Amile Jefferson is unlikely for Louisville. He was scheduled to be reevaluated on Friday, but there has been no official word from the school. Even if he somehow becomes available, the fifth-year forward may be limited after reinjuring the same foot that ended his season last year. Jefferson seemed very disappointed to limp off the floor against Boston College, the team captain missing the shoe from his right foot as he went to the locker room.
▪ After giving up 56 points in the paint, Duke must use the bodies it has to protect the rim against a Louisville team capable of driving. Additionally, Duke has had trouble with athletic teams with a super deep rotation: like Virginia Tech, like Florida State. Louisville should be similar in that regard: the Cardinals got 31 bench points in their latest win, an 85-80 decision over Pitt where they led by 26 points before winning by five.
▪ A win at Louisville would be huge for Duke, and it could really turn around the Blue Devils’ early conference ride. After Saturday, they have a week off and return to Cameron Indoor Stadium to host Miami in a primetime matchup.
Jessika Morgan
This story was originally published January 13, 2017 at 7:58 PM with the headline "Duke at Louisville: What you need to know."