Cam Reddish
Strengths: On a team that is firmly within the bottom third of Division I programs in 3-point shooting, Cam Reddish is clearly Duke's best option beyond the arc among regular rotation players. Reddish drilled a couple of dagger shots in the Blue Devils' unthinkable comeback against Louisville—including the game-tying score with less than 90 seconds to play—and sank the game-winner against Florida State in the closing seconds.The forward has also elevated his game on defense and should be in the conversation for the ACC's All-Defensive team.
Weaknesses: While Reddish has improved on defense, Duke has only really faced two offenses comparable to that of North Carolina—Kentucky in the season opener and Gonzaga in the Maui Invitational. Reddish can also be turnover-prone. He gave the ball away six times each against Texas Tech and Clemson, and is averaging two turnovers a game in conference play.
Aspect of matchup to watch: North Carolina starts three players at 6-foot-8 or taller, along with a pair of guards in Coby White at 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-4 Kenny Williams. And with Nassir Little at 6-foot-6 coming off the bench, the Tar Heels have plenty of size to counter Duke. Reddish has often been able to exploit mismatches with so much focus on his talented classmates, but if North Carolina makes it tough for him to get off comfortable long-distance shots, Reddish will have to find other ways to impact the game.
This is one of our five starter breakdowns heading into this weekend's matchup with North Carolina. Check out our reports on Tre Jones, R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson and Marques Bolden and find the rest of our rivalry coverage here.
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Twitter: @mpgladstone13
A junior from just outside Philadelphia, Mitchell is probably reminding you how the Eagles won the Super Bowl this year and that the Phillies are definitely on the rebound. Outside of The Chronicle, he majors in Economics, minors in Statistics and is working toward the PJMS certificate, in addition to playing trombone in the Duke University Marching Band. And if you're getting him a sandwich with beef and cheese outside the state of Pennsylvania, you best not call it a "Philly cheesesteak."