X-factor: Young's bench role, limiting Cadeau's playmaking key for Duke men's basketball against North Carolina

The Blue Devils will travel down Tobacco Road Saturday to take on the Tar Heels. Ahead of the pivotal matchup, the Blue Zone brings you a player from each side that may provide a spark for their teams:

Duke: Ryan Young

The 6-foot-10 graduate student stands alone on Duke’s campus. Last year, the Northwestern transfer captured the Cameron Crazies’ hearts by putting his own on the hallowed floor of Cameron Indoor Stadium. This year, he returns captaining, podcasting and (occasionally) dunking, while backing up preseason All-American and sophomore center Kyle Filipowski on the court. He had one of his strongest games of the season Monday at Virginia Tech, and will certainly look to build upon a good outing against one of the best teams in the country.

Young’s job on the floor is going to be vital Saturday evening in a top-10 matchup in Chapel Hill. Foul trouble has plagued head coach Jon Scheyer’s team this year, and Filipowski has been at the center of it. He’s had seven games of at least four fouls this season, and recently fouled out against Clemson. With Filipowski matching up against fellow preseason All-American Armando Bacot, he’ll be facing the other best big man in the ACC. In Bacot’s four-plus years in college basketball thus far, he’s gained plenty of experience down low. He should be able to exploit Filipowski’s relative youth and draw a few fouls. If Filipowski gets in foul trouble, Scheyer will call on Young to match up against Bacot. These minutes will be decisive, and if Young is able to hold his own against North Carolina’s star, the Blue Devils could certainly bring home a win. 

North Carolina: Elliot Cadeau

Cadeau is the farthest thing from Young that the Tar Heels have, but they both will play integral roles in their team’s success Saturday. The 6-foot-1 freshman reclassified to join head coach Hubert Davis’ team a year early, and has been a part of the starting five in 16-of-21 games so far. Although his scoring numbers aren’t gaudy, his importance cannot be understated. He leads North Carolina in assists, despite only averaging 23.4 minutes. If Davis’ team is to perform to their ceiling, Cadeau must have a strong game, dishing out the ball and facilitating gameplay. 

Cadeau will spend a lot of time matched up against Duke’s own freshmen Jared McCain and Caleb Foster — both of whom Cadeau was ranked ahead of by 247 sports. However, both McCain and Foster have kept pace with Cadeau this year, posting dynamic offensive showings and holding their own on the defensive end. Both players will certainly come into this matchup with a chip on their shoulder, and will work to exploit Cadeau on defense. If Cadeau can shine in the biggest moment of his career so far and put up a great showing against McCain and Foster, it will certainly swing the odds towards the Tar Heels. But, if the Blue Devils’ duo can overcome Cadeau, chances are they’ll be leaving Chapel Hill happy.