XFactor: Duke basketball vs N.C. State

After getting back on track against Georgia Tech Wednesday night, the Blue Devils face off against N.C. State Saturday. Duke will look for its second win against the Wolfpack this season, but will need to to sharpen up on defense if they want to contain a talented N.C. State squad. Before each game, the Chronicle takes a look at one player from each team who could be the difference maker in Duke’s upcoming contest.

Duke: forward Brandon Ingram

With the return of Amile Jefferson still on hold, Ingram will need to shoulder the load in the paint for the Blue Devils. The freshman is the team's second-leading scorer and Duke will need his size down low against a Wolfpack team that has had success attacking the hoop and has post players capable of dominating on the boards. 

Duke is ranked 10th in the nation in scoring offense at 84.7 points per game and will rely on Ingram and sophomore Grayson Allen to pace the Blue Devil offensive attack. Ingram is capable of stretching the floor with his perimeter jumper and his skill as a ball-handler enables him to get to the hoop and set up teammates for open shots. If Ingram can find his shooting stroke as he did two weeks ago in his  25-point performance against the same N.C. State squad, the Blue Devils should be able to emerge victorious once again. 

N.C. State: guard Anthony "Cat" Barber

Barber has had a standout year to date and emerged as one of the most potent scorers in the conference. The guard has scored 30 points or more in the last three games—a feat that has not happened in program history since David Thompson in 1975. Barber leads the ACC in scoring with 23.4 points per game and his 15 games with 20 points or more is by far the best in the ACC, as no one else in the conference has more than 10.

Containing Barber will be a tall order for the Blue Devils, who did not see the junior at his best in the first meeting after he banged knees with a Duke player and was slowed for the rest of the game. Despite going scoreless in the final 14 minutes of the game, Barber still finished with a team-high 19 points.

Barber is shooting nearly 87 percent from the charity stripe this season and is capable of getting to the line when he attacks the hoop. If the guard can get off to a fast start and dominate the game on the offensive end, Barber could steal the show at Cameron for a struggling Wolfpack squad.