The No. 17 University of Arizona men’s basketball team (2-1, 0-0 in Big 12) is set to take on No. 12 Duke University on Friday, Nov. 22 at 8:30 p.m. in McKale Center. The Wildcats are coming off their first loss of the season, falling 103-88 to the University of Wisconsin-Madison as they look to get back in the win column against the Blue Devils.
History vs. Duke
The first meeting between the Wildcats and the Blue Devils dates back to Dec. 16, 1961, where Arizona lost 78-47 in the matchup. Friday will mark the 11th meeting between the two programs as the Wildcats hold a 6-4 series record. Notably, Arizona has won its last three matchups against Duke, with the most recent meeting taking place last season in Durham, North Carolina on Nov. 10, 2023. The Wildcats won this last meeting 78-73.
Duke players to watch
The Blue Devils are led by third-year head coach Jon Scheyer. Scheyer took over as head coach after Hall of Fame head coach Mike Krzyzewski retired in 2022. Scheyer signed an extension back in October 2023 that will carry him through the 2028-2029 season. Duke currently boasts a 3-1 record this season with its only loss coming from the University of Kentucky on Nov. 12 where the Blue Devils fell 77-72.
Despite the loss to Kentucky, Cooper Flagg, a projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, completed the night with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Flagg leads Duke in five categories, including points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. The 17-year-old freshmen averages an impressive stat line of 16.3 points per game, 9.5 rebounds and four assists. Additionally, Flagg, the ACC Rookie of the Year, puts up 1.8 blocks per game and two steals, dominating both sides of the court.
Kon Knueppel plays a crucial role for Duke, leading the team second in scoring averaging 14.8 points per game, 2.8 assists and four rebounds per game. He led the team to victory against the University of Maine, completing the night with 22 points and four rebounds. The freshman forward shot 57.1% from the field to help secure the 96-62 win.
Khaman Maluach, a freshman from South Sudan, is second when leading the team in rebounds averaging seven per game. Maluach, a 7-foot-2 center, put up a double-double consisting of 11 points and 14 rebounds over the United States Military Academy on Nov. 8. Notably, 10 of those rebounds were secured in the first half as the Blue Devils went on to win the game 100-58.
Wildcats to watch
Tobe Awaka led the Wildcats in the 102-44 victory over Old Dominion University on Nov. 9. Awaka recorded his first double-double as a Wildcat, finishing the night with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Awaka, the University of Tennessee transfer, has had a significant impact on the Wildcats in his short time at Arizona. Leading the team in rebounding and being the fourth leading scorer, Awaka puts up 12.3 rebounds per game and 10.3 points per game.
Jaden Bradley, who is in his second season playing at Arizona, has seen much improvement in finding scoring opportunities this year. Despite Arizona’s loss against Wisconsin, Bradley put up a career-high 22 points and six rebounds against the Badgers. Bradley is the Wildcats’ current leading scorer, averaging 14.7 points per game. He also contributes 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists per game as well as two steals per game.
Trey Townsend, a 6-foot-6 transfer from Oakland University, put up 17 points and grabbed four rebounds against Wisconsin. The versatile forward was named the 2024 Horizon League Player of the Year and was named MVP after dropping 38 points in the 2024 Horizon League Tournament. He provides 9.3 points per game, 4.3 rebounds and one assists per game.
Another mentionable player to look out for is Caleb Love, who led Arizona in scoring last season, averaging 18 points, including a career-high 36 points against the University of Oregon on Jan. 27. Love was named Pac-12 Player of the Year and currently leads the team in assists, averaging three assists, three rebounds and 11 points per game.
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