Duke is coming off a big overtime win over rivals North Carolina, but do not have much time to celebrate as an underdog teams comes into the coliseum looking for an upset win of their own. The Blue Devils just wrapped up an important stretch of games against both Syracuse and the Tar Heels, but they cannot rest with the Clemson Tigers coming in for a Saturday looking to upset the ACC team as the final stretch of the season begins.
Duke got a comeback win over North Carolina that certainly made for a must-watch game. After blowing a 13-point lead in the first half, the Blue Devils trailed by 10 with less than four minutes to play before tying the game up and getting the win in overtime. It keeps the team in second place in the conference with Notre Dame while chasing Virginia for the top spot. However, the victory for Duke might have come at a price for the team.
Jahlil Okafor went down in the game with a sprained left ankle. He taped up the ankle coming out for the second half, but was clearly hobbled by the issue as the standout freshman finished with just 12 points and 13 rebounds. The Duke is operating under the idea that Okafor will play against Clemson, but they will make him a game-time decision just out of precaution. Okafor is currently averaging 17.9 points and 9.4 rebounds, both team highs for Duke. He has 26 double-double games joining Tyler Hansbrough and Stephon Marbury as the only other freshman to do so in the ACC.
Clemson is certainly hoping Okafor sits out as their defense could get them a win in this game. The Tigers have rank second in the ACC in opponents field-goal percentage and points allowed per game. Clemson has certainly hit lows this season and will certainly have their work cut out for them as Duke puts up 76.8 points per game on 47.0 shooting percentage. They also lead the ACC shooting 39.7 percent from long-range. Clemson will have to play their best game in order to win.
