Preview: Duke Looks to Continue Dominance at NC State

RALEIGH, N.C. (Interstat) — The top-ranked Duke Blue Devils, riding a seven-game winning streak, visit the North Carolina State Wolfpack in an Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball matchup Monday night at Lenovo Center.

Duke (27-2, 16-1 ACC), whose only conference loss came at North Carolina on Feb. 7, has been dominant since, winning its last seven by an average of 26.3 points. That includes a 77-51 rout of Virginia on Saturday. The Blue Devils are installed as 9.5-point favorites, with an over/under of 148.5 points.

The Wolfpack (19-10, 10-7), seeking a résumé-boosting victory to solidify their NCAA tournament positioning, are coming off a draining 96-90 overtime loss at Notre Dame on Saturday. NC State has lost three of its last four games.

The spotlight will be on Duke’s standout forward Cameron Boozer, who has scored in double figures in every game this season and is averaging 20.0 points on 62% shooting over his last eight contests. He posted 18 points and four assists in 33 minutes against Virginia.

NC State will counter with dynamic guard Quadir Copeland, who nearly recorded a triple-double in the loss to Notre Dame with 17 points and nine assists in 41 minutes. Copeland is averaging 9.5 assists over his last four games and will be central to the Wolfpack’s offensive pace.

Duke’s defense, allowing just 60.2 points per game in ACC play, will be tested by an NC State squad that averages 80.6 points at home. The Wolfpack’s most impressive win this season was an 82-58 blowout of North Carolina on Feb. 17, a game in which Copeland had 20 points and seven assists.

For the Blue Devils, this game is the final hurdle before a highly anticipated regular-season finale rematch with the Tar Heels. For the Wolfpack, it represents perhaps their last major opportunity to secure a signature win before the ACC tournament.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. EST. Duke’s next game is at home against North Carolina on March 7. NC State hosts Stanford on the same date.