X Factor: Duke men's basketball vs. Virginia State

Duke’s will face its first opponent of the season Friday at Cameron Indoor Stadium with an exhibition game against Virginia State. This is one of the most highly anticipated seasons ever for the Blue Devils, but it has yet to be seen how this talented Duke team will perform against real competition. The Blue Zone takes a look at a player from each team who could be the difference-maker in the game:

Duke: forward Amile Jefferson

Graduate student Amile Jefferson is set to return to action for the first time since going down last December with a broken foot after the NCAA granted him a medical redshirt to return for his fifth season as a Blue Devil. Before his injury last year, Jefferson was averaging a double-double with 11.4 points and 10.3 rebounds, and his presence was sorely missed by a team that lacked depth, interior defense and senior leadership.

This year, Duke is not as desperate for Jefferson’s services, as freshmen Harry Giles, Marques Bolden and Javin Delaurier and sophomore Chase Jeter can man the frontcourt. But with Giles set to miss the first few weeks of the season, Jefferson will likely be Duke’s top option inside. After an injury scare at the Blue Devils' Countdown to Craziness, though, it is no guarantee that the Philadelphia native will be able to stay healthy. If he can stay on the floor playing heavy minutes, Jefferson will certainly be a difference-maker for Duke.

Virginia State: forward Elijah Moore

Moore was Virginia State’s second-leading scorer last season, averaging 14.3 points per game to go along with 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists. The 6-foot-8 senior will look to build on last year’s success and may have an easier time doing so against the Blue Devils since their starting small forward, Jayson Tatum, will not be playing due to a foot sprain.

Defensive question marks are sure to arise for Duke with Tatum not suiting up, since guards Grayson Allen and Matt Jones may be asked to slide over to the small forward position instead. Both Allen and Jones are 6-foot-5 and could have trouble stopping the much larger Moore. If Moore is able to take advantage of this matchup, he could have some success for the Trojans.