Connecticut vs. Duke: Game Preview, Prediction

By Trevor Lowry
Duke Basketball
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Matchup: Connecticut Huskies (4-3) vs. Duke Blue Devils (9-0)

TV Schedule: Thursday, Dec. 18, 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Entering the season, this contest had must-watch written all over it. After all, the Connecticut Huskies won the national championship last season, while the Duke Blue Devils tend to compete for a title every season, and have a tremendous amount of talent.

Fast forward to now, and the Huskies have gotten off to a disappointing start, and Duke is one of the top teams in the country. Yeah, Connecticut didn’t really hold up its end of the deal.

As expected, Ryan Boatright has stepped up in a big way (averaging 18.9 PPG), so there’s one plus for the Shabazz Napier-less Huskies. A win against the Dayton Flyers early on had this team off to a solid start, but three straight losses has knocked the defending champs out of the top 25 rankings.

Duke, on the other hand, has already beaten the Michigan State Spartans and Wisconsin Badgers. You know, just two of the Big Ten‘s best teams. The victory against the Badgers came on the road. So, yeah, the Blue Devils gained one heck of a resume builder with that win.

Jahlil Okafor was the No. 1 recruit in the 2014 class, and man has he been proving that. Okafor is leading the Blue Devils in points (18 PPG) and rebounds (9.0 RPG). At this rate, he could be the next Naismith winner. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves on that one, let’s remember that it is only December.

Other than the fact that Duke has more talent and momentum entering this contest, here is one key stat to keep in mind: Duke is averaging 87.6 points per game, while Connecticut is only putting up 68.3 per game.

I like the Huskies’ chances in this game … if Boatright can score 30+. Assuming that doesn’t happen, Duke’s offense will more than likely be too much for the defending champs to handle.

Prediction: Connecticut 65, Duke 81

Trevor Lowry is a Content Associate at www.RantSports.com. If you’re a tweeter feel free to follow him @TheTrevorLowry or add him to your network on Google.

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