No. 16 Duke begins a stretch of playing three of its next four on the road with a Wednesday night tilt versus NC State at PNC Arena.
Wednesday’s game marks the 253rd all-time meeting, with the Blue Devils looking for their 151st win in the series. Duke has won three straight and eight of the last 11 over State.
Wednesday is a matchup of the ACC’s second-ranked scoring offense vs. the ACC’s second-ranked scoring defense. NC State averages 80.6 points per game and leads the conference in three-pointers made per game, averaging 9.1 an outing. Duke’s defense only allows 60.4 points per game and is holding opponents
to just 40.4 percent shooting (3rd in the ACC) and 27.8 percent from three-point range (2nd in the ACC).
About Duke
- Duke is fifth nationally in offensive rebounding by grabbing 38.7 percent of its misses and the Blue Devils are top 50 nationally in rebounds (39.3, 46th), offensive rebounds (13.4, 18th), rebound margin (+9.4, 10th), scoring defense (60.9, 25th) and scoring margin (+13.0, 35th) — leading the ACC in scoring margin, rebound margin and offensive rebounds.
- Duke has held 13 of 14 opponents to below their season scoring average — six to their then-season low for points, including Iowa and Xavier.
- The deep and balanced Blue Devils have seen seven different players lead the team in scoring over the last eight games, including a historic 20-point, 12-rebound effort by graduate Ryan Young vs. Florida State, a career-high 17 by Jaylen Blakes at Wake Forest and a then-career-high 15 by Dariq Whitehead vs. UMES.
- Since Nov. 29, Duke is third nationally in free throw percentage (.837, 87-of-104) over that six-game span.
- Four-time ACC Rookie of the Week Kyle Filipowski leads Duke in scoring (13,8), rebounds (8.6) and steals (1.3) The versatile 7-footer is the nation’s best power conference freshman in rebounding and leads all NCAA freshmen with his six double-doubles.
About NC State
- NC State is 11-2 this season if it scores 70 or more points, but 0-2 if it scores under 70.
- NC State is 7-0 this season when it makes 10 or more three-pointers and just 4-4 when it hits less than 10. The Pack has made 81 three-pointers in eight games at PNC Arena this season.
- Casey Morsell is shooting 55.1 percent from three-point range (27-of-49) in eight games at PNC Arena this season. The Ft. Washington, Md., native is averaging 15.4 points per game in games at PNC Arena this season and is shooting 55.7 percent (44-of-79) overall.
- Pack has held its own on the boards: NC State has out-rebounded its opponent in 10 of 15 games this season (NC State only out-rebounded its opponent in 10 of 32 games last season). In the four games it has been out-rebounded, Kansas, Coppin State and Clemson only edged NC State by one rebound and Miami finished +4 in rebounding in its win. NC State tied Louisville in rebounding.
- NC State is 10-1 when it ties or wins the rebounding battle, but is just 1-3 when it is out-rebounded. The Pack ranks fourth in the ACC in rebounding
margin at +3.87. It finished 14th in the ACC last season in rebounding margin at -2.8.
Duke vs NC State
- Wednesday will be the 263rd meeting between the two programs. Duke leads the all-time series, 150-102 and has won three straight and eight of the last 11.
- Kevin Keatts has a 2-4 record against Duke as head coach of NC State, including a 2-1 record against the Blue Devils in PNC Arena.
- NC State is Duke’s third most-frequently played opponent behind Wake Forest (258 games) and North Carolina (258).
- NC State has won four of the last six games against the Blue Devils played at PNC Arena. A win on Wednesday would give Duke consecutive victories over NC State at PNC Arena for the first time since Duke beat NC State on Jan. 20, 2007 (Duke won 79-56) and March 1, 2008 (Duke won 87-86).
- NC State has a 7-9 record all-time against Duke in PNC Arena. The Blue Devils won six of the first eight meetings between the programs in PNC Arena. NC State has won five of the last eight meetings at PNC Arena.
- Last season, Duke won the only meeting between the two programs, 88-73, at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Jan. 15. Terquavion Smith led the Pack with 19 points. Duke outscored the Pack, 58-38, in points in the paint.
- Last meeting in PNC Arena (Feb. 13, 2021): Duke used a 14-0 run in the first half to take a 39-21 lead into halftime and never looked back in defeating NC State, 69-53. Jeremy Roach is the only player that played in the game that is still on either team’s roster this season. The official attendance of the game was “25” as only player and coaching staff family members were allowed to attend the game.
How to Watch
Time: 7:00 p.m. (ET)
TV: ACCN (Wes Durham, Dan Bonner)
Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Blue Devils Sports Network (David Shumate, John Roth), Wolfpack Sport Network (Tony Haynes)
Per Release