No. 9 Duke will attempt to use a quick turnaround as a tune-up for the NCAA Tournament when it faces Wake Forest on Monday night in Durham, N.C.
The Blue Devils (18-5, 9-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) have had just one day to rest after beating Boston College 80-65 on Saturday afternoon, but Duke center Kyle Filipowski believes the hectic schedule will only pay off in the long run.
“Now we’re getting ready for the next game, on to the next game, just because of that type of position we’re in,” Filipowski said. “It’ll be good for us, in that mindset, to kind of be in that position for when it matters most in March.”
Filipowski finished with 16 points against the Eagles, while Mark Mitchell paced the Blue Devils with 17 points and seven rebounds. Jeremy Roach also had 16 points, and Jared McCain recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards.
Wake Forest guard Hunter Sallis has played against Mitchell since the two were teenagers.
Sallis averages a team-high 18.5 points per game, and while Mitchell has grown to respect Sallis’ rise to stardom, his main focus is containing him on Monday.