After winning ugly on the road against Notre Dame, the Blue Devils will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers. The Blue Zone brings you a key player on each side that could lead their teams to victory:
Duke: Kyle Filipowski
Since the moment the 7-foot center stepped foot in Durham, Kyle Filipowski has been an integral part of the Blue Devils' success. So far this season, he leads the team in points, rebounds and blocks. For Duke to beat Pittsburgh and remain undefeated on its two-game ACC road swing, it will need Filipowski to have a leading offensive performance.
The Westtown, N.Y., native has a history of playing well against the Panthers. Last season, he led the Blue Devils in a comeback win that included 28 points and 15 rebounds, one of the 16 double-doubles Filipowski racked up in his freshman campaign. When the two teams faced off for the second time last season in the ACC tournament, Filipowski once again led his team with 22 points.
Still, despite his history of playing well against Pittsburgh, the ACC Preseason Player of the Year has struggled lately in games against teams with strong defenses. In Duke’s last contest against Notre Dame, the sophomore center only scored seven points, a far cry from his season average of 16.8. Facing another strong defense on the road, combined with a lack of momentum, could break Filipowski’s streak of taming the Panthers.
Filipowski remains as essential to head coach Jon Scheyer as ever, and the quality of his performance could be the make-it or break-it for the Blue Devils.
Pittsburgh: Blake Hinson
On the other side, senior forward Blake Hinson has made a name for himself as the key piece of the puzzle for Pittsburgh. As one of only two seniors on the team, Hinson has provided this young Panthers team with a wealth of experience — and could be the spark they need to take down the Blue Devils.
Hinson led his team in three categories last year: rebounds, points and 3-point field goals. This year looks similar, as the Deltona, Fla., native currently leads his team in points and 3-point field goals while ranking fourth in rebounds. He also averages 40.8% from the 3-point line, a potential problem for Duke. The Blue Devils' defense will have to keep the ball out of Hinson’s hands as much as possible. Once he gets hot, it's hard for defenses to stop him — as showcased by his season-high nine made threes last month against West Virginia. Coming off a road win against Louisville, Hinson and Pittsburgh hold a lot of momentum to defend their home and take down Duke.
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