Duke Basketball: Toughest Matchup Each Projected Starter Will Face in 2015-16

As Duke continues its preparations for the 2015-16 season, the bulk of practice time right now is being spent on acclimating the newest players to the program and installing the offensive and defensive principles that will serve as the backbone of this year's game plan.

The Blue Devils won't start gearing their practices toward the traits of specific opponents until a few days before the season actually begins, but it's never too early to start thinking about what they'll face. In particular, it couldn't hurt to start scouting their tougher upcoming matchups, both from a team and individual standpoint.

For this piece, we're focusing on a player that each projected Duke starter is expected to line up across from at some point in 2015-16. It could be a member of one of the teams on Duke's nonconference schedule or someone from the ACC competition, but in each case, that player is likely to provide the most challenging matchup to deal with.

PG Derryck Thornton

Lance King/Getty Images

Marcus Paige, Sr., North Carolina

When: Feb. 17 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; March 5 in Durham, North Carolina

Derryck Thornton is no stranger to facing stiff competition at the point, as his time at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada, had him matching up with the best high school players for the last few years. He'll run into more of the same during his freshman season at Duke, such as Isaiah Briscoe and Tyler Ulis of Kentucky, and the toughest task he'll face is trying to contain the ACC's most experienced point guard.

The 6'1" Paige enters his fourth season as North Carolina's starter, and he's averaged 12.2 points per game in six career games against Duke. That's below his career average of 13.2 but includes games of 24 in 2014 and 23 last March.

The Duke-UNC rivalry brings out the best in players from both teams, and with Paige wrapping up his college career this season, he'll be itching to improve his 1-5 record against the Blue Devils. That will mean going through Thornton, as well as trying to negate the talented guard's own skill set.

SG Grayson Allen

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Jamal Murray, Fr., Kentucky

When: Nov. 17 in Chicago

Grayson Allen showed his drive and desire during brief stints in the regular season, then in big spurts during the Final Four when he was one of Duke's hottest players. Now in a more pronounced role as a sophomore, Allen will be asked to provide that spark on a full-time basis.

But he'll also need to focus on stopping what is often the best player on opposing teams, not to mention their best shooter. And early in the 2015-16 season, he'll get a major test from one of the most highly regarded freshmen in the country.

Murray dazzled for Team Canada during the Pan American Games, beating the U.S. team en route to a silver medal. He ended up reclassifying to 2015 so he could jump-start his college career, and by coming to Kentucky, he's put himself in a prime position to benefit from coach John Calipari's track record of developing NBA-level guards.

The 6'4" Murray is slightly smaller than the 6'5" Allen, but he's faster and will look to use that speed to get around his defender and to the basket.

SF Brandon Ingram

Ryan M. Kelly/Associated Press

Anthony Gill, Sr., Virginia

When: Feb. 13 in Durham, North Carolina

Brandon Ingram's skill set allows him to play on the perimeter, take it to the rim and defend players of various sizes at different spots on the floor. And when Duke faces two-time defending ACC regular-season champs Virginia, Ingram will likely get matched up against a player with similar defensive versatility.

At 6'8" and 230 pounds, Gill will regularly take on faster players who will look to stretch the floor and pull him away from the paint. Virginia's defense thrives on forcing opponents to attempt contested threes, so Gill is already a master at defending on the perimeter and cutting off driving lanes.

Ingram is going to get the best of many of the players who defend him, but Gill is going to present him with a more difficult test than most.

PF Chase Jeter

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Nigel Hayes, Jr., Wisconsin

When: Nov. 22 in New York City

Though he didn't have particularly good games when he faced Duke twice last season, Hayes had a breakthrough year for Wisconsin in 2014-15, averaging 12.4 points and 6.2 rebounds. And with the Badgers losing Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker from last year's national finalist squad, his play inside will become even more integral.

It will be up to Chase Jeter to deal with Hayes if Duke and Wisconsin end up meeting on the final day of the 2K Classic. The Blue Devils will play either the Badgers or Georgetown after facing VCU two days earlier.

The 6'10" Jeter could end up starting at center if Duke elects to go with a more guard-oriented lineup, but we're projecting him at power forward, where he'd be dealing with opponents of various sizes. Hayes is 6'8" and 235 pounds but plays much bigger at times, and he also has the agility to get around defenders inside.

C Sean Obi

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Jakob Poeltl, So., Utah

When: Dec. 19 in New York City

Sean Obi was on the bench for Duke last season when it faced Utah in the Sweet 16, and leading up to that game, the Rice transfer likely mimicked what Poeltl does on the floor while in practice. Whether this helped Jahlil Okafor deal with the 7-footer or not depends on what you think of Poeltl's 10-point, eight-rebound, three-block performance.

Now it will be Obi's turn. After sitting out last season per NCAA transfer rules, the 6'9" sophomore is in line to be Duke's enforcer in the paint. He won't be asked to contribute on the offensive end nearly as much as Okafor did, but handling the big-man defensive assignments will be right up his alley.

Poeltl averaged 9.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 68.1 percent from the field. He had periods of poor play during the year but this sophomore season is expected to be his time to break through and become a top NBA prospect. Obi won't want to be featured on Poeltl's highlight reel.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.