College Hoops

Preview:  Duke Blue Devils (19-8, 10-6) vs. Louisville Cardinals (4-23, 2-14)

Preview:  Duke Blue Devils (19-8, 10-6) vs. Louisville Cardinals (4-23, 2-14)

About Duke

Duke has won two straight and pulled with three games of first place and one game of a top-four spot in the ACC standings with four games remaining in the regular season.

The Blue Devils bottled up Syracuse on Saturday, 77-55, holding the Orange to an ACC low for points, while hitting 13-of-26 from three-point range and assisting on 22 of 30 field goals. Syracuse became the 23rd team held below its season scoring average by Duke (19-4 in those games), including nine that scored a then-season low for points versus the Blue Devils.

The Blue Devils are second in the conference in scoring defense (64.0), second in three-point field goal defense (.304) and third in field goal defense (.413) and are the ACC’s best rebounding team, Duke is averaging 39.4 boards and has out-rebounded 22 opponents (18-4 in those game). Duke is 14-4 when leading in offensive rebounding.

Freshman Kyle Filipowski, the seven-time ACC Rookie of the Week, leads all conference freshmen in rebounding and double-doubles. His 12 double-doubles are the most by any freshman nationally, while his 9.2 rebounds lead all power conference freshmen. At 15.1 points, Filipowski is the nation’s only freshman — and one of just nine power conference players overall — averaging at least 15 points and nine rebounds this season.

Coming off 17 points at Syracuse, junior Jeremy Roach has scored 125 points over his last nine games (13.9) since returning from a toe injury that held him out for three games. Over his last six, he’s averaging 15.5, including 21 vs. Wake, 20 vs. UNC and 16 at No. 8 Virginia.

Since returning three games ago from an injury, freshman Dariq Whitehead is averaging 11.0 points, shooting 12-of-21 (.571) from the field and 9-of-14 (.643) from three-point range in that span. He is Duke’s best from three-point range both overall (.419) and in ACC play (.490).

Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at DukeBlog…