After no matchups between ranked teams in the first four days of the 2023-24 college basketball season, there will finally be a battle of traditional powers when No. 2 Duke takes on No. 12 Arizona on Friday.
The most important storyline leading up to this showdown is the return of Arizona guard Caleb Love to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face the Blue Devils. Love scored 28 points in UNC’s 2022 Final Four win over Duke, which ended former coach Mike Krzyzewski’s legendary career.
After completing the 2022-23 season, Love entered the transfer portal and originally committed to Michigan, but did not have the sufficient amount of transferable credits to easily overcome the school’s admissions hold. Love scored 12 points in a 122-59 win over Morgan State on Monday in his first appearance with the Wildcats. Seven Arizona players scored in double figures and guard Kylan Boswell scored a team-high 18 points in just 22 minutes of play.
The Blue Devils opened the season with a 92-54 win over Dartmouth without veteran forward Mark Mitchell in the lineup. CBS Sports ACC Preseason Player of the Year Kyle Filipowski scored a game-high 25 points and added seven rebounds in the opening night win. Duke’s nonconference schedule calls for four games against top-25 opponents, and the gauntlet begins with the team favored to win the Pac-12.
How to watch Duke vs. Arizona live
Date: Friday November 10th | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium – Durham, North Carolina
TV: ESPN2 | Live broadcast: fuboTV (Try for free)
Duke vs. Arizona prediction, tips
Love is a crucial factor if Arizona wants to pull off an upset against the Blue Devils. He is truly a microwave player who can score 20 points in each half. Love is a double-edged sword as he is also a candidate for shooting poorly from the floor and turning the ball over at a high rate on any given night. The Blue Devils went 16-0 at home last season under coach Jon Scheyer and have an important mix of veteran experience and youth on the roster. Duke makes a statement in the first big matchup of the season by covering the spread with ease. Prediction: Duke -5
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