Duke’s bench hasn’t been particularly notable this season. The majority of Blue Devil points have been scored by Matthew Hurt, DJ Steward and Jalen Johnson. That being said, there are a few players that likely won’t be on the floor at the start of Saturday’s game but could make a difference later in the evening.
Jeremy Roach, for example, hasn’t been a consistent starter for the Blue Devils this season but is the team’s fourth-highest scorer. Roach has put up decent numbers in many games, and is averaging 8.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the season. The dynamic that Roach and Steward have on the court when they’re both playing well would undeniably be exciting to watch against the Tar Heels this weekend.
Mark Williams’ sheer height has made him a fascinating player on the Duke roster this season. While he didn’t see significant minutes at the beginning of the year, he has progressively seen more playing time in recent contests. His size could be extremely useful on the defensive end for the Blue Devils.
Joey Baker, meanwhile, has been an inconsistent bench piece for the Blue Devils this season. While he averages more minutes than Williams, he’s shooting only 27.3% from the field. However, as a returning junior, Baker is a leader for this very young team. Hopefully for the Blue Devils, his experience facing off against the Tar Heels will allow him to shine both as a player and as a leader.
Another player that could see a good amount of time on the court come Saturday evening is Jaemyn Brakefield. Brakefield hasn’t seen as many minutes as some other players on the team, but rarely disappoints when he does play. He averages 3.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game while shooting 40% from three.
Rounding out the bench contributors is Henry Coleman III, who comes in with just four total points on the season. While Coleman certainly could make an appearance on the court Saturday, don’t expect him to garner any significant minutes.
The Tar Heels have a more evenly distributed roster in terms of playing time, but there are still some key bench pieces Duke will have to spend time focusing on.
Senior wing Andrew Platek consistently scores around his average of 4.7 points per game. The difference he can make for North Carolina, though, is with his leadership, as this will be his ninth career game against the Blue Devils. Much of what he can offer to support the Tar Heels Saturday will come from the energy that he brings.
Sophomore guard Anthony Harris also has the potential to be an excellent asset for North Carolina, though he's been prone to inconsistency—after scoring 10 points in 11 minutes against N.C. State Jan. 23, he struggled Tuesday against Clemson en route to zero points in 14 minutes.
Ultimately, the key to win the game could lie in the hands of each team's bench. If Duke wants to win Saturday, it'll need to dig a little deeper into its roster than it normally does.
Editor's note: This article is one of many in The Chronicle and The Daily Tar Heel's annual rivalry edition. Find the rest here.
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