Duke-Virginia: Dukies Take on 'Hoos at Cameron Indoor

Tonight marks the first in-conference game for the University of Virginia and Duke University. The Cavaliers (10-3),(0-0), lead by senior all-american point guard, Sean Singletary, haven’t played in a week and a half. The ‘Hoos are coming off a 38 point drubbing at the hands of the Xavier Musketeers, while the Blue Devils (12-1),(0-0), won a hard-fought battle and prevailed at Temple (74-64).

After the Cavs were dropped by Xavier, head coach Dave Laetio revoked the Cavs’ privileges and amenities of John Paul Jones Arena. He made an emphasis that the next few practices would be of the defensive variety, after giving up 108 points total and 61 in the first half against Xavier. Don’t expect the same defensive squad to show up tonight though, as coach has made it clear to his Cavaliers that if they don’t play defense, they don’t play.

Everything’s great in Raleigh/Durham though, as the Dukies have jumped to No. 7 in the country. Duke features a balance of both veterans and underclassmen. Despite the team not having much chemistry with the freshman, they’ve lived up to their expectations. Freshman F Kyle Singler has carried more than his load, averaging 13.0 ppg and 6.1 rebs per game, only being behind DeMarcus Nelson in both categories. The Blue Devils’ leader on the court is senior F Demarcus Nelson. Nelson leads the Blue Devils in ppg, rpg, and apg.

Tonight’s game will depend on the tempo set early-on, and if the Cavaliers can clamp down on "D". The Cameron Crazies will be decked out in royal blue and living up to their name tonight, which could create communication problems for the 'Hoos. Duke will want to run with Virginia, in fact, they want Virginia to run with them, too. If Virginia can control the tempo and play at their own pace, this game could be closer than what you might expect. One matchup one might want to pay close attention to is Henderson, who is fleet-footed. Another matchup you might want to closely watch is whoever is guarding Sean Singletary. No one on Duke can stay with him, so we’ll see how that plays out. But, when teams are in ACC play, you can throw the facts and stats out of the window. The team that produces the least turnovers tonight should be victorious.

Predictions: Player of the game for both teams: Virginia G Sean Singletary,

Duke G/F Gerald Henderson.
 

Prediction: Virginia 67 Duke 75

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