The Blue Devils take on Wake Forest at 7 p.m. at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. Wednesday night. Before every basketball game, we’ll break down a player on each team who could be the difference-maker in the upcoming contest.
Duke: guard Rasheed Sulaimon
Coming off one of his most balanced efforts of the season, Rasheed Sulaimon is starting to play his best basketball at the right time. Sulaimon scored 15 points against Virginia Tech last Tuesday, and added four rebounds and five assists on the night. The sophomore guard poured in 19 points in the first meeting with the Demon Deacons this season, and was an efficient 6-for-10 from the field in the game. If Sulaimon can repeat his strong play, look for Wednesday night to be a runaway for the Blue Devils.
Wake Forest: guard Coron Williams
In their first meeting this season, Duke’s swarming defensive pressure gave the Wake Forest guards fits all night, forcing 19 turnovers and limiting the Demon Deacons to 63 points. For Wake Forest to keep pace with the Blue Devils this time around, Coron Williams will need to care of the ball. The senior guard only had one turnover in 35 minutes on Saturday against Boston College, while dishing out three assists in the process. If the Duke guards can wreak havoc on Williams early, look for the second meeting between the two teams to be much of the same. Otherwise, the Demon Deacons may just pull off the upset at home.
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