As Duke basketball looks to bounce back from its narrow loss to Kentucky, the Blue Zone is here to preview the Blue Devils’ matchup with Wofford along with an X-Factor factor for each team:
Overview
2024-25 record: 1-2
Head coach: Dwight Perry
Series history: Duke leads 2-0
Last meeting: 86-57 Duke, Dec.19, 2019
After a promising win against Erskine College in its season opener by over 50 points, Wofford’s fortunes have gone downhill, dropping the last two games. The Terriers come fresh from a respectable 2023-24 campaign which saw them end with a 17-15 record, only losing two games at home. However, Wofford’s previous season did conclude with a heartbreaking loss against Chattanooga in the Southern Conference Tournament.
Head coach Dwight Perry comes back for his second full season along with most of the Terriers’ starting lineup and veteran players. Most notably, senior guards Jackson Sivilis and Corey Tripp look to continue to play prominent roles as primary scoring options. Both Tripp and fellow senior Kyler Filweich were named to the Preseason All-Southern-Conference teams. Wofford also added three freshmen and a junior transfer during an otherwise uneventful offseason.
A lack of shooting and high turnover rate has been an issue for the Terriers so far. The team struggled from beyond the arc in its last game against Presbyterian, shooting just 32.1% from three in the loss while committing 12 turnovers. If Wofford wants to even compete against Duke’s physical defense, it will have to take care of the ball as much as possible.
The game will mark the third encounter between both teams in prestigious Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Terriers have scored less than 60 points in both of their games in Cameron, shooting just 35.5% from the field in the last encounter back in 2019. Ironically, the last time Wofford made the NCAA tournament was in 2019, where it lost in the second round. Saturday, the Terriers will face a re-constructed Blue Devil squad coming off a close loss against Kentucky.
X-Factor
Duke: Tyrese Proctor
The Sydney, Australia native has taken a leadership role as one of Duke’s veterans and is a key piece for the Blue Devils this season. As a 6-foot-6 guard, Proctor has the length and size to disturb Wofford’s smaller guards defensively as they look to penetrate the paint. Most importantly however, Proctor is also a streaky three-point shooter who has the capacity to take the game under his own hands if he gets on fire from beyond the arc.
With teammate Sion James suffering a shoulder injury against the Wildcats, Proctor could take on even more of a burden at the guard position. Additionally, Duke’s loss Tuesday saw the team’s freshmen play heavy minutes, which could propel coach Jon Scheyer to rely more on the veteran from Sydney. If Proctor is able to get going from beyond the arc early and locks down the Terriers’ guards, don’t be surprised if the Blue Devils blow out the game in just the first half.
Wofford: Kyler Filewich
The senior from Winnipeg, Canada is entering his final season after starting all 32 games last year and averaging a team-high 8.8 rebounds per game. Filewich’s role as a rebounder will be even more important this game as he faces the likes of 7-foot-2 Khaman Maluach and a Duke team that has dominated the boards this season. As the primary center, Filewich will also likely need to be able to cover the pick and roll effectively while guarding the paint.
While guards Tripp and Sivilis will likely be the offensive centerpieces for the Terriers, the Blue Devils have more than enough talent to keep up with Wofford’s shifty scoring guards. If Filewich is able to rebound the ball well offensively and defensively, Duke will likely not have as many second-chance opportunities, giving the Terriers a chance to stay in the game early on. Not to mention, Filewich is also an effective post-up player who can provide space for his teammates while providing an option offensively that could give the Blue Devil defense trouble.
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