USA TODAY Sports writer Eddie Timanus came up with his five biggest games to watch over the weekend on Friday, and Duke’s road trip to Wake Forest made the cut.
Timanus pointed out the return of Tyrese Proctor, who played against Miami on Wednesday after missing time in concussion protocol, and the recent form of freshman Jared McCain as his biggest point of interest. McCain scored 35 points against Florida State last weekend, and he’s produced three double-doubles in his past six games.
The Blue Devils are now tied atop the ACC standings with a 12-3 conference record and a 21-5 overall record after five straight wins.
The recent win streak already includes a win over Wake Forest, as Duke beat them at home by eight points on February 12. Mark Mitchell led the Blue Devils with 23 points in that effort, and forward Kyle Filipowski added 21 points and 10 rebounds.
The Demon Deacons are 20th in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency metric and boast a 17-9 record, but they remain one of the first teams out on most bracket projections due to a lack of statement wins. A 33-point blowout over a surging Pittsburgh earlier this week bolstered their tournament case, but a home win over Duke could punch their ticket to the Big Dance.
Wake Forest hasn’t lost a home game yet this season, and they’ll face the Blue Devils in front of a sold-out crowd on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.