The Duke basketball program will renew its rivalry with the Kentucky Wildcats on Tuesday night in Atlanta but the meeting between the teams will look quite different.
Neither Mike Krzyzewski nor John Calipari will be involved. Instead, it will be Jon Scheyer against Mark Pope, who took over for Calipari after several successful seasons at BYU.
However, this will be Pope’s first big game as the head coach of Kentucky. He wanted the job in Lexintgon for these moments and he will try and prove to the nation that he is ready for the challenge in knocking off a Blue Devil team that has a lot of eyes on it.
Tipoff will be approximately 30 minutes following the completion of Kansas and Michigan State, which begins at 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN).
Both teams dominated its two games to begin the season as the Blue Devils dispatched Maine and Army while the Wildcats hung 100 points on Wright State and Bucknell. Things will not be as easy for either side on Tuesday but someone will leave with a 3-0 record.
Here are some of the biggest matchups to watch when the ball is tipped off.
Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor vs. Kentucky backcourt
Surprisingly, there has not been much talk centered around Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster for the Blue Devils despite the duo being the only two players that returned from last season. Everything has been focused on the freshmen stars who have shined in their college debuts.
However, if Duke leaves Atlanta with a victory Proctor and Foster will play a major role.
Duke does not have much on-ball guard depth behind the two players while Kentucky has built a very deep guard rotation that has Koby Brea, one of the most coveted transfers in the portal this offseason, coming off the bench.
Brea is leading Kentucky in scoring with 19.0 points per game and shooting an inconceivable 83.3-percent (10-of-12) from 3-point range. Otega Oweh, an Oklahoma transfer, is starting for Kentucky and has posted 15.5 points per game on 42.9-percent shooting.
The offensive numbers are inflated because of the competition but Kentucky’s key backcourt pieces have averaged 55.5 points per game. Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster will have its hands full defensively trying to slow down the Wildcats.
Duke centers vs. Amari Williams
Like many players on the Kentucky roster, Amari Williams was also a major target for other teams in the transfer portal and the Drexel product is looking to carry over his tough defensive ways to the Wildcats.
Williams, a 7-footer, will be battling Duke freshman Khaman Maluach and Syracuse transfer Maliq Brown inside for the duration of the game.
Maluach is still a very raw prospect as he develops rapidly and Brown, although one of the best defenders in the ACC during his time with the Orange, is giving up significant size to the Kentucky center.
Williams told the media on Monday that his goal is to get Maluach in foul trouble but the rookie has avoided sitting on the bench through the early part of the season, only committing three total fouls in the first two games of the season.
Whichever team gets more out of its center could be the determining factor in who wins the game.
Duke’s defensive strategy vs. familiar foe
The Blue Devils will see one player that it is familar with on Tuesday night in Kentucky forward Andrew Carr, a Wake Forest transfer.
Carr, who stands at 6-foot-11, could be a matchup nightmare for Duke with freshman Cooper Flagg guarding him. Flagg, however, is a strong defender but the Blue Devils struggled to contain Carr a season ago.
He scored 12 points in a loss against the Blue Devils inside Cameron Indoor Stadium before adding 18 points in Wake’s upset victory in the second meeting of the season.
Andrew Carr is averaging 11.0 points per game with Kentucky but only 2.5 rebounds. It’s a moment that Flagg is built for. He shines on the biggest stages and if he is able to keep Carr quiet, especially on the glass, and contribute his share offensively, it could be a great night for Duke.
