Sophomore point guard Nolan Smith will not play in Duke's Sunday matchup at North Carolina and junior forward Lance Thomas is still questionable, Mike Krzyzewski said at a press conference Friday.
Smith sustained a mild concussion Feb. 25 against Maryland, and has been out indefinitely since. Thomas suffered a sprained ankle Tuesday against Florida State, a game in which Brian Zoubek also broke his nose. Zoubek will play Sunday, Krzyzewski said, but added that Thomas will either play his regular role or not play at all. If Thomas doesn't practice Saturday and can't play Sunday, Zoubek will start in his place.
Smith's loss is likely to impact Duke's matchup against Tar Heel point guard Ty Lawson, one of the fastest players in the country. Lawson scored 25 points against Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium Feb. 11, and while Elliot Williams will play a completely different role in trying to curb Lawson this time, Smith's defensive presence could have helped, as well.
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