After falling to North Carolina Saturday, No. 5 Duke will look to regain form against the twelfth-seeded Wolfpack Wednesday in the ACC tournament. N.C. State will enter the game with some momentum after pulling out a close 75-72 win in its first-round matchup against Wake Forest. Before the game, the Chronicle takes a look at one player from each team who could be the difference maker in the upcoming contest.
Duke: guard Grayson Allen
In Duke’s previous two matchups against N.C. State, Allen has delivered with averages of 28 points per game. The sophomore padded the box score with 11 assists and a perfect 17-of-17 mark from the free-throw line in the two games combined. After having his way with the Wolfpack in the regular season, the guard will know what to expect Wednesday and could have another monster game for his team.
Defending consistently at a high-level is the next step Allen must take to help his team progress deep in postseason play. Guard Cody Martin shot 11-of-19 in the two games against the Blue Devils and could be a tough matchup for Allen in man-to-man defense. When playing zone, Allen and the rest of the team will have to monitor guard Maverick Rowan, who led his team to victory with 24 points against the Demon Deacons.
If Allen comes out with the same aggressiveness and energy he has displayed in Duke's biggest wins this season, the Blue Devils should have no trouble earning a win against their in-state rival.
N.C. State: forward Abdul-Malik Abu
Abu is tied as N.C. State's second leading scorer with 12.8 points per game, and helps take some pressure off of star guard Anthony “Cat” Barber. The big man also has a knack of finding the ball near the hoop, as shown by his 8.8 rebounds per game. In the Feb. 6 meeting against the Blue Devils, the forward managed to grab 17 rebounds—eight offensive—to help his team finish with 10 second chance points and stay in the game deep into the second-half.
With Marshall Plumlee being the only player with the ability to contain Abu's ability to get to the ball on the boards, look for the Wolfpack to go right at Plumlee and force early fouls.
If Plumlee comes out of the game, either freshmen Brandon Ingram or Chase Jeter could be matched up on the sophomore and both players have struggled stopping good rebounders this season. But if Plumlee can slow down Abu and stay out of foul trouble, the Blue Devils have a good chance of getting a win.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.