X factor: Duke basketball vs. Virginia

After a turbulent week, No. 4 Duke will look to bounce back from its third conference loss at No. 8 Notre Dame Wednesday in a prime-time showdown at No. 2 Virginia Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. Before each game this season, the Blue Zone will select a player on both teams that could make the difference for their respective squads:

Duke: guard Grayson Allen

Due to junior Rasheed Sulaimon’s sudden dismissal Thursday, the often-overlooked Blue Devil freshman will likely be under the microscope Saturday night if and when he checks in. The Jacksonville, Fla., native has played just 17 minutes in ACC games this season, but is now one of just four true guards on Duke's roster and one of the Blue Devils' only hopes to replace Sulaimon's bench production. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound wing will need to especially focus on the defensive end of the court, where Duke's guards often struggle. If Allen can at least provide solid perimeter defense to give starters Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook a blow, the Blue Devils' odds of pulling the upset will go way up because of Virginia's ability to wear teams down with a 10-deep rotation.

Although Allen scored 18 of his 45 points on the season in Duke's season opener against Presbyterian, he still has the athleticism and shooting ability to potentially give the Blue Devils a decent lift on offense if he can find the opportunities. They haven't been available up to this point, but if they appear Saturday and Allen can take advantage, Duke fans will see why many were so excited about Allen's potential when he stepped on campus. Against the nation's stingiest defense in terms of points allowed, any scoring from Allen could provide a huge boost.

Virginia: forward Anthony Gill

Gill can be described as a staple of the culture that head coach Tony Bennett has created in Charlottesville. The 6-foot-8 forward is the Cavaliers’ third leading scorer at 11.3 points per game and leads the team in rebounding with 6.7 per contest. Gill is known for his toughness on both ends, screen-setting within Virginia's motion offense and tenacity pursuing loose balls with his long arms, but is also capable of having big offensive nights if teams forget about him. The junior scored 25 points Dec. 30 against Davidson and has scored more than 15 points five times this season when opponents have paid too much attention to leading scorers Justin Anderson and Malcolm Brogdon.

Along with frontcourt mates Mike Tobey and Darion Adkins, Gill anchors Virginia's defense—which leads the nation by surrendering just 49.2 points per contest—and will likely spend some time guarding Jahlil Okafor Saturday night. The Cavaliers play a pack-line defense that prides itself and not giving up easy hoops inside the paint, so the High Point, N.C., native's ability to successfully handle Okafor one-on-one or help double the dominant center could have a huge impact on whether or not Virginia stays unbeaten. Without a strong game from Okafor, the Blue Devils could have an extremely tough time scoring Saturday night.

Gill also had success the last time he went against Duke, scoring 12 points and adding seven rebounds when the Cavaliers knocked off the Blue Devils for the ACC title last March. Gill made just one field goal, but went 10-of-17 from the free throw line in 26 minutes and will likely try to be in attack mode again facing a Duke team with limited depth.