Recent history suggests that Duke’s road game against archrival and third-ranked North Carolina on Saturday isn’t the Blue Devils’ most foreboding road test this week.
Instead, Duke’s toughest away game comes on Monday at Virginia Tech, where the No. 12 Blue Devils (15-4, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) have lost two straight games and five of the last six meetings ahead of their date with the Hokies (13-7, 5-4) in Blacksburg, Va.
No current Duke player was on the Blue Devils’ roster when they last won in Blacksburg in 2019, but this season’s squad carries a core of contributors who have guided Duke to 10 wins in its last 11 games.
Kyle Filipowski rightfully draws attention as a 7-foot preseason All-America center who leads the Blue Devils in scoring (17.7 points) and rebounding (8.7).
Meanwhile, guard Jared McCain has been a steady contributor as Duke’s only player other than Filipowski to start every game this season. McCain is averaging 12.5 points and 3.9 rebounds over his 19 starts and has notched at least 20 points in two of his last three games.