X factor: Duke basketball vs. Fairfield

The No. 4 Blue Devils play their second game in as many nights Saturday at 8 p.m. against Fairfield at Cameron Indoor Stadium as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Before every basketball game, we’ll break down a player on each team who could be the difference-maker in the upcoming contest.

Duke: Rasheed Sulaimon

Although Friday’s 69-point victory was indeed a team effort, no player shot as consistently as junior Rasheed Sulaimon, who made all four of his shots and all three of his free throws on his way to scoring 12 points. The Houston, Texas, native also added four assists, two rebounds, two steals and a block.

Sulaimon should play an interesting role this season. The 6-foot-5 guard was presumed to have a somewhat difficult time working his way into the rotation, but if he replicates performances like he did against the Blue Hose, then there’s no reason why Sulaimon can’t be the glue guy that head coach Mike Krzyzewski consistently looks at to create shots as well as knock down open looks off the bench.

Playing its second game in 24 hours, Duke could need a spark off the bench and there's no reason one of its most explosive guards shouldn't be the one to provide it.

Fairfield: KJ Rose

The sophomore from Binghamton, N.Y., was the third leading scorer on last year’s roster, but only shot 26 percent from beyond the arc. If he has developed into a consistent shooter during the offseason, then the Blue Devils could have something to worry about, especially if he finds his hot streak early on.

Duke should also make sure the scrappy guard doesn’t crash the boards too often. Despite the fact that he is just 6-foot-1, he recorded the first double-double of his collegiate career in last year’s regular season finale when he registered 10 rebounds to go along with his 11 points. Rose is a very well-rounded player, who averaged 3.7 assists per game last season and the Blue Devils will need to shut him down if they want to replicate Friday's defensive success.