Although the college basketball season is only a few weeks old, there have been many exciting games so far.
However, none of the non-conference matchups will have as much hype as this Saturday's blockbuster showdown between the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils and the No. 2 Texas Longhorns at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, NJ. This potential national title preview pairs arguably the two most talented teams in the nation in a game that will allow each to measure itself against a truly elite opponent.
Duke was a nearly unanimous top seed in the preseason polls. However, since coasting to three wins to begin their season, the Blue Devils have only occasionally looked like the force touted in the preseason. The unranked Drexel Dragons managed to scare the Blue Devils in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT, mounting a substantive challenge before Duke was able to hold on for a 78-68 win.
In the finals of the same tournament, a talented Memphis Tigers squad outplayed Duke for stretches before the Devils survived with a three-point victory. Guard J.J. Redick went scoreless in the second half, and Duke's perfect record was maintained by 30 huge points from Sheldon Williams.
Last week, in another lackluster victory, the Blue Devils slipped by the No. 16 Indiana Hoosiers, who looked sharp despite the absence of talented forward D.J. White. His frontcourt companion, Marco Killingsworth, manhandled the Duke frontcourt of Williams and Josh McRoberts, scoring 34 points on 15-of-20 shooting and grabbing ten rebounds. However, this time it was Redick who bailed out his team with 29 points on 10-for-17 shooting, including four three-pointers.
The most stunning result in Duke's young season occurred this past Sunday in the Blue Devils' first ACC game against the Virginia Tech Hokies, who aren't even predicted to finish in the top half of the conference. The Hokies went into halftime with a one-point lead, only for Duke to take control as the second half wore on.
With Duke up 74-63 and just over four minutes left, the game looked all but over. But Virginia Tech stormed back, taking a 75-74 lead with 1.6 seconds left on a tip-in by Coleman Collins, who led the Hokies with 25 points and eight boards. Duke was saved by Sean Dockery, who caught an inbound pass just beyond halfcourt and drained a 40-foot heave to keep the Blue Devils as tops in the nation.
While Duke has managed to stay undefeated, it cannot afford another sub-par performance against the Longhorns. With the absence of fifth starter DeMarcus Nelson, Duke will need to utilize all of its highly-touted talent or it could be in for a reality check this weekend.
Texas also began its season with some early struggles. The Longhorns received a serious challenge from the No.13 West Virginia Moutaineers in the semifinals of the Guardians Classic, but managed to get a one-point victory with two clutch late-game baskets and a block by center LaMarcus Aldridge. Then they held off the tough No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes to win the tournament. Unlike Duke, however, the Horns haven't been challenged by any of their six non-ranked opponents, dispatching of them easily in blowout wins.
Four of their starters are averaging double figure scoring per game, and the returns of Aldridge and P.J. Tucker have elevated their team to its current position. Texas will try to utilize its various weapons on Saturday, looking to dominate the Blue Devils inside and complement that with the outside shooting of Daniel Gibson and Kenton Paulino.
They could try to get Williams into early foul trouble as this problem has often resulted in disaster for the Blue Devils. On the defensive end, Texas will have to contend with the dynamic duo of Williams and Redick, and will need to contain both if it hopes to emerge victorious this weekend.
Duke, despite having a slightly less skilled starting five, has more options off the bench, even without Nelson. The rotation of Dockery and Greg Paulus at point guard has been effective, and freshman Martynas Pocius has had some impact as a substitute. The Blue Devils will need McRoberts and Lee Melchionni to complement Redick and Williams in order to grab the victory.
This highly anticipated matchup of top teams should be as impressive as it has been billed. Duke has a chance to validate its lofty ranking, while Texas has an opportunity to recast itself as the team to beat in the country. The game will be broadcast at 1:30 PM on CBS, so be sure to check out what is sure to be one of this year's best contests.
