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Arizona vs Duke: 2023-24 college basketball game preview, TV … – Busting Brackets
Nov 6, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA;Duke Blue Devils center Kyle Filipowski(30) dribbles up court during the second half against the Dartmouth Big Green at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Already in their third season under head coach Tommy Lloyd, Arizona (1-0) is a program that seemingly keeps humming along after two very impressive seasons, including Pac-12 Tournament titles. In their final season in the Pac-12, the Wildcats look like a national contender again even with a few missing pieces and made quick work of Morgan State on opening night.
It’s hard to gleam much from that first contest, but sophomore guard Kylan Boswell led the way with 18 points and will be a key part of that backcourt this season. Many eyes will be on North Carolina transfer Caleb Love, a former 5-star recruit who had 12 points on opening night. You can’t talk about Arizona without considering the back end, and 7’0 Oumar Ballo continues to be a force in the paint.
In the preseason polls Arizona was ranked #12 and currently sit 6th in the KenPom rankings. This certainly looks like another season where Lloyd’s team will boast one of the nation’s most efficient offenses, though again it’s hard to know much after dropping 122 points on lowly Morgan State. This will be a much different test and a major opportunity for Ballo and the rest of the frontcourt.
Defending their home court, Duke (1-0) hunts for that first significant win of the new college basketball season. Jon Scheyer has a full season behind him as head coach, coming off an ACC Tournament title, and has another incredible batch of recruits in Durham. The Blue Devils aren’t considered one of the national favorites this season by a fluke.
Much of that boils down to the return of sophomore forward Kyle Filipowski, who was one of the top recruits in the nation last year and had 25 points and 7 rebounds against Dartmouth in their opening game. Among the talented crop of freshmen it was Caleb Foster and his 15-point performance that stood out. While talented forward Mark Mitchell missed opening night with an injury (and his status is still up in the air), the backcourt did more than enough damage against the Big Green.
Duke opened the season at #2 in the AP Top 25, though they sit down at 8th in the most recently updated KenPom rankings. The Blue Devils were a stout defensive squad last season but may lean more on their offense this season, especially if Mitchell continues to miss time in a young and less experienced frontcourt. Still, they boast Filipowski, one of the preseason candidates for the All-American team.
Clearly, neither of these teams were particularly challenged on opening night and this will be a major step up in terms of opposition. The learning curve will be significantly greater for a Wildcats team that has to fly across the country and deal with the Cameron Crazies. However, the Wildcats have the pieces to do some damage in Durham, especially if that opening night performance from Boswell was a peak at his potential this season.
Still, Duke holds the home court advantage and looks slightly better on paper. Dealing with Ballo won’t be the easiest task that Filipowski and the Blue Devils defense faces this season, but it’s one they should be able to handle. Keep an eye on that matchup. Outside of that, it depends on which guards can play the most fluid offense; expect a bounce back effort from Tyrese Proctor, leading the Blue Devils to an important win.
Prediction: Duke 80, Arizona 74
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