In its penultimate home game of the season, Duke men’s basketball will welcome Virginia to Cameron Indoor. The Blue Zone brings you a player from each squad to keep an eye on:
Duke: Jeremy Roach
After a brutal loss against Wake Forest, the Blue Devils came back to Durham to secure a dominant win against Louisville — but now they face a far more formidable foe in Virginia. Senior guard Jeremy Roach, a top scorer and dependable player for head coach Jon Scheyer this season, is exactly what Duke needs to get back up again Saturday. Who could be better than the reliable team captain to take charge at home?
Roach certainly spearheaded the Blue Devils Wednesday against the Cardinals, leading the team with 19 points. In the first half, the Leesburg, Va., native gave the team an invaluable double-digit lead with back-to-back triples from deep. His ability to make 3-point shots will be an asset Saturday. This season, the senior guard has been shooting at a 48% clip from the 3-point line, the highest on the team.
Roach has some of the most experience on the team — with more than 1,000 career points and three years of letterwinning under his belt — and with that comes consistency. This season, he averages a reliable 14.4 points per game on 49.6% shooting. Expect Roach to go into full team-captain mode, putting up points and serving as a cool, confident leader.
Virginia: Reece Beekman
Virginia is also coming off of a loss and subsequent win of their own, and the Cavaliers’ very own senior guard Reece Beekman is the one to watch. The Milwaukee, Wis., native takes care of business on the court, leading the team at 13.9 points per game average.
The last time Virginia faced off against Duke in Cameron Indoor Feb. 7, 2022, Beekman, then a junior, sank a game-winning three with only 1.1 seconds left on the clock; the Cavaliers left the court with a narrow 69-68 win. When it really counts, Beekman can deliver — a fact that he has proven against the Blue Devils. In Virginia's Thursday matchup against Boston College, the senior guard led the team to a tight 72-68 victory, posting 18 points and eight assists. Once again, when he is needed, Beekman steps up.
Like Roach, Beekman native has three years of experience to work with and has shaped himself into a dependable player as a result. Expect to see lots of Beekman buckets Saturday, and watch to see how he deals with the pressure and shouting Crazies when the clock is ticking.
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