X factor: Duke basketball vs. Virginia Tech

With the health of star freshman Jahlil Okafor still very much up in the air, the No. 4 Blue Devils (24-3, 11-3 in the ACC) will look to continue their strong play and extend their seven-game winning streak Wednesday night when they travel to Blacksburg, Va., to take on Virginia Tech (10-17, 2-12) at Cassell Coliseum, with tip-off scheduled for 9 p.m. Duke has just four regular season games remaining before the ACC tournament play begins, and currently sits two games behind Virginia for the conference’s top spot. Before every game this season, the Blue Zone will select a player on both teams that could make a difference for their respective squads.

Duke: guard Matt Jones

Jones has been developing nicely and growing into his role as an important sixth man during the last few weeks, culminating with key late-game minutes in the North Carolina game and a starting nod against Clemson Saturday with Okafor sidelined. He has been active on the boards—grabbing a few crucial rebounds to help seal the victory against the Tar Heels and pulling down five more in Saturday’s contest—a trend that will have to continue if Okafor proves to be hindered by injury.

Throughout his time at Duke, however, Jones’ calling card has always been his lock-down defense, and that will come in handy against a Hokie squad that features a sharpshooting duo in the backcourt. Virginia Tech’s starting guards—freshman Justin Bibbs and junior Adam Smith—are both shooting better than 43 percent from 3-point range and are the primary go-to scorers for the Hokies. Jones has more size than the other Blue Devil guards, making him an ideal matchup for Bibbs—who boasts a solid 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame. His ability to harass Bibbs throughout the night and keep him from getting into a rhythm shooting the ball will be critical to disrupting Virginia Tech’s offensive attack.

Virginia Tech: forward Christian Beyer

This could be surprising to some given that Beyer averages only 3.4 points and 12.7 minutes per game, but the senior has been taking on an increased role since junior Joey van Zegeren announced that he would be transferring to Northwestern. Van Zegeren was the Hokies’ leading rebounder at 5.3 boards per contest, and Virginia Tech has really struggled to replace his production on the glass—the Hokies have been outrebounded by more than 11 boards per game in conference play.

As head coach Buzz Williams' squad has tried to find a replacement for Van Zegeren, Beyer has seen his minutes and production across the board jump, as he is Virginia Tech’s second-leading rebounder against ACC foes. With a 6-foot-7, 220-pound stature and the savvy that comes with being a veteran senior, Beyer is one of the few Hokies equipped to deal with the Blue Devils down low. His contributions will be critical in making sure that Virginia Tech doesn’t get pulverized by a Duke squad that will have a distinct size advantage, whether or not Okafor suits up.