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Duke-Pittsburgh Game Preview

After suffering their first loss in ACC play against Virginia Tech, Duke will look to get back on track Tuesday night against Pittsburgh. A win would put Duke at 4-1 in ACC play and keep them near the top of the ACC standings.

Coach K’s disciple, Jeff Capel, has Pittsburgh playing good basketball. The Panthers currently sit at 7-2 overall with a 3-1 record in ACC play. Pittsburgh is coming after a matchup against Syracuse in which they scored 64 points in the second half, the second highest total allowed by Syracuse in a half ever. Pittsburgh will be coming into this matchup with a ton of confidence.

What to Watch For

Jalen Johnson

Jalen Johnson returned to action against Virginia Tech, but played just four minutes. Prior to his injury, Johnson started in all four games. Johnson may be ready to return to the starting lineup and take on a larger role in this game. Coach K has mentioned he has had good practices this week. Duke has missed his versatility and he will be a welcomed boost to Duke’s lineup.

Pittsburgh’s Defense

Pittsburgh currently has the #1 ranked defensive field goal percentage in the ACC. The Panthers are allowing opponents to convert just 39.1% of their field goal attempts. Duke is going to have to be patient and work for quality shot attempts.

Offensive rebounding battle

Both Duke and Pittsburgh have done a good job creating second chance opportunities on the season. Pittsburgh is averaging 14.4 offensive rebounds per game and Duke is averaging 12.4 per game, good for 2nd and 3rd in the conference respectively. The rebounding battle will be something to monitor in this game.

Justin Champagnie

Star forward Justin Champagnie has been arguably the best player in the ACC this season. He is currently second in the ACC in scoring at 18.7 ppg and leads the conference in rebounding at 12.9 rpg. After a two game absence, Champagnie returned and recorded 24 points and 16 rebounds in Pittsburgh’s last game. Containing Champagnie is a key to the game for Duke.

Patrick Tape

Patrick Tape has returned to practice and will be active for Duke in this game. The last time Tape played, he started for Duke against Notre Dame. The amount of playing time, if any, Tape gets in this game will be something to watch. His return is good news for Duke.