Duke Blue Devils vs NC State Wolfpack: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

Where: PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC

When: Wednesday, February 19th at 9 pm EST

How (TV): Watch on ESPN+ here!

Duke Blue Devils (Away)

Head Coach: Mike Krzyzewski {Overall: 22-3 | Conference: 12-2, 1st in ACC}

Although they have not been as hyped as they were last season with Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett no longer in Durham, the Duke Blue Devils are in a good position to secure their first ACC regular-season title since 2010.

With four double-digit scorers powering the nation’s third-highest scoring squad at 83 points per game, opposing teams have struggled to keep pace.

Furthermore, the Blue Devils have been formidable on the other end of the floor, limiting opponents to a 28.3 percent success rate from long range, which ranks 11th in Division I basketball.

Despite having star freshman Cassius Stanley out of the lineup due to a last-minute injury last Saturday, Duke cruised to a 94-60 blowout over Notre Dame in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Freshman center Vernon Carey Jr. was the top scorer with 21 points, while sophomore point guard Tre Jones filled the box score with 19 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. The Blue Devils were on the mark with their shooting, hitting 56.5 percent of their field goal attempts, and going 10 of 22 from three-point range.

NC State Wolfpack (Home)

Final statistics: pic.twitter.com/jr7pTcHxxp

— The Wolfpacker (@TheWolfpacker) February 17, 2020

Head Coach: Kevin Keatts {Overall: 16-9 | Conference: 7-7, T-5th in ACC}

Having missed the NCAA tournament last season with a .500 ACC record, the NC State Wolfpack will need to tally some key wins down the stretch to avoid missing out a second straight year. With two games against Duke, as well as matchups with top-10, ranked Florida State and local rival North Carolina, those victories will be hard-earned.

The Wolfpack suffered a heartbreaking setback on the road last Sunday, falling to the middle of the road-ACC foe Boston College 71-68, despite winning the second half 35-31. NC State had a balanced scoring effort on offense, with guards Devon Daniels, C.J. Bryce, along with reserve forward Jericole Hellems each putting up 15 points in the loss.

Despite grabbing 10 rebounds to limit BC’s second-chance points, Daniels and point guard Markell Johnson hurt the Wolfpack by combining for 11 of the team’s 16 turnovers.

Duke vs NC State All-Time Series

These intra-state rivals have played each other 164 times prior to Wednesday’s game, with Duke winning 94 of those meetings.

The Blue Devils dominated the 2010’s, going 11-5 against the Wolfpack during that decade. NC State did manage to win the last meeting in PNC Arena, taking down a second-ranked Duke squad on January 6th, 2018.

The Wolfpack managed to pull out a 96-85 win despite a 31 point outing from Marvin Bagley III, who is now with the Sacramento Kings.

Duke Roster Notes

Freshman guard Cassius Stanley is expected to be ready to play after suffering an eye injury in pregame warmups against Notre Dame, causing him to sit out that game.

NC State Roster Notes

Graduate forward Pat Andree is currently listed as questionable with an ankle injury.

Head-to-Head: Tre Jones (DUKE) vs Markell Johnson (NCST)

Just a few reasons why Tre is the best PG in ?? @Tre3Jones pic.twitter.com/BIICjHbjYy

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) February 18, 2020

Tre Jones

Point Guard | 6-2, 183lb | Apple Valley HS | Apple Valley, MN | Sophomore

15.8 PPG | 6.6 APG | 4.0 RPG | 1.9 SPG | 0.3 BPG | 2.8 TOV | .446 FG% | .325 3P%

Despite the temptation to be a one-and-done like his brother Tyus, along with classmates Williamson, Barrett, and Cam Reddish, Tre Jones elected to stay in school for another season. That decision has appeared to pay off, as he has improved as a scorer without sacrificing his defensive excellence.

After shooting a subpar 26.2 percent from three-point range, Jones has upped his shooting clip to a more respectable 32.5 percent. Jones has also proven that he can show up in big games, scoring 28 points against hated rival North Carolina, while putting up a 20 point and 12 assist performance against Michigan State in the season opener.

Markell Johnson

Point Guard | 6-1, 175lb | East Technical HS | Cleveland, OH | Senior

12.6 PPG | 6.5 APG | 4.0 RPG | 1.9 SPG | 0.2 BPG | 3.3 TOV | .399 FG% | .256 3P%

Unlike Jones, NC State’s Markell Johnson has seen his shooting numbers regress after a strong showing as a junior, when he shot 48.8 percent from the field and 42.2 percent from three-point range.

Although his assists have increased from last year, so too have his turnovers, where he ranks fourth in the ACC.

Not surprisingly, six of the Wolfpack’s nine losses have come when Johnson committed four or more turnovers. Johnson will need to be smarter with the ball if he hopes to get his team into the March Madness discussion.