Duke Men's Basketball Faces off Against Virginia in an ACC Battle
The Virginia Cavaliers are going up against the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, North Carolina, on February 28th at 12:00 p.m EST. Duke is currently ranked first in the AP top 25 and in the ACC, while Virginia is ranked 11th in the nation and second in the ACC. The Blue Devils are currently 14-1 in the ACC, and 26-2 overall, with their two losses coming at the hands of Texas Tech and their in-state rival, North Carolina. For the Cavaliers, they have an overall record of 25-3, and a conference record of 13-2, which puts them only one game back from Duke. Their three losses were against Butler, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina.
When it comes to Duke, Cameron Boozer is the one leading the team to their number one rank. Boozer is having an outstanding season; he is sixth in points, averaging 22.7 points per game, 11th in rebounds, averaging 10.1, and he is also having an efficient season, shooting 58% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. The 18-year-old is the front-runner to win the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Player of the Year award, and he is also set to be a lottery pick in the next NBA draft, where he will most likely go in the top five. Boozer is coming off a good game against Notre Dame, where the Blue Devils won 100-56, and he led the team in points, rebounds, and assists, tallying up 24, 13, and four, while shooting an impressive five for eight. Duke is currently on a five-game winning streak and has beaten two ranked teams, Clemson and Michigan.
For Virginia, Thijs De Ridder is leading the team in points, averaging 16 points per game, and he is leading the team in rebounds with over six per game. Although the six-foot-nine forward leads the team in scoring, he shoots an unimpressive 32% from three. The Cavaliers are coming off a monstrous 90-61 win against North Carolina State, where De Ridder scored 19 points on an efficient seven of 10 shooting from the field. Virginia is currently on a nine-game winning streak, and they will be looking to carry this momentum against their first-ranked opponent since January 24th. According to ESPN analytics, Duke is favored by a landslide, where they have a 88.1% chance to win. If Virginia manages to pull off the upset, they will be tied for first in the ACC and will undoubtedly move into the top 10 for the AP standings.
