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After their two-game losing streak, the Duke Blue Devils rebounded in the best way by dominating the Louisville Cardinals away from home. The win over the Cardinals was Coach K’s 998th win, and he will be looking to get win No. 999 against the Pittsburgh Panthers on Monday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Pittsburgh, a perennial powerhouse college basketball team, has struggled this season. They have lost several games to teams which they should have beaten, while also not winning games against NCAA Tournament resume boosting opposition. It’s too early in the season to say this for sure, but the Panthers are at the border of being solidly out of the NCAA Tournament barring multiple massive wins down the stretch.
Duke is entering the harder portion of their ACC schedule, which includes eight games against teams that have been ranked this season. The Blue Devils could get caught looking ahead on their schedule by a team down the stretch, but from what this team showed against Louisville, they should enter the 2015 NCAA Tournament as one of the favorites to win it all.
Pittsburgh will be back on track next season due to most of their top talent being underclassmen, but this season should not end with a postseason tournament berth for the Panthers. Duke should win this one easily behind another massive performance by Jahlil Okafor; don’t expect the Blue Devils to lose another game until Jan. 31.
Prediction: Duke 78, Pittsburgh 63
Taylor Sturm is a Featured Basketball Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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