Duke’s Isaiah Evans, Cooper Flagg, Sion James talk win vs Auburn
Following Duke basketball’s win vs. Auburn, Isaiah Evans, Cooper Flagg and Sion James discussed the Blue Devils’ performance.
Duke basketball doesn’t want a letdown after its biggest win of the season.
Coming off its win against No. 2 Auburn (7-1), it’s time for the ninth-ranked Blue Devils (6-2) to turn the page in preparation for Louisville (5-3) on Sunday (6 p.m., ACC Network) in the ACC opener at the KFC Yum! Center in Kentucky.
Overall, the Blue Devils have a 15-9 edge in the series against the Cards, including five victories in a row. Louisville hasn’t beaten Duke since 2021, but the Blue Devils lost their ACC road opener in each of Jon Scheyer’s first two seasons as head coach.
Here are some other things to know and a score prediction for Duke vs. Louisville.
Terrence Edwards, Louisville basketball’s 3-point shooting vs Duke defense
Louisville is 340th in 3-point shooting, making just 27.3% of its attempts from long range. The Cardinals now get to face a Duke team that is No. 1 in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. In the Blue Devils’ losses to Kentucky and Kansas, those teams combined for 18 three-pointers on 43.5% shooting from beyond the arc.
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James Madison transfer Terrence Edwards Jr., who shot 35% from 3-point range last season, is off to a rocky start at Louisville as a 20% shooter on 3s through eight games. If the Cards are going to pull off the upset, they have to get going from deep. Edwards is among the players capable of helping them do that.
Caleb Foster as Blue Devils’ sixth man?
For the first time this season, Duke made a change to its starting lineup, giving Sion James the nod over Caleb Foster against Auburn. Both players appeared comfortable in their new roles, contributing in different ways to help the Blue Devils beat the Tigers. Foster had 11 points, including four attempts from the free-throw line to match his season high. Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, the sophomore guard is a key piece for Duke.
Duke basketball’s Tyrese Proctor and Louisville’s Chucky Hepburn
Duke junior guard Tyrese Proctor lit up Louisville last season, scoring a career-high 24 points to go with four assists. Proctor hasn’t broken the 20-point barrier this season, but he’s been as consistent as any Blue Devil so far, knocking down 46.3% of his 3-pointers and defending at a high level. The 6-foot-6 Proctor could be matched with 6-foot-2 guard Chucky Hepburn, a Wisconsin transfer who has become the Cardinals’ leader. Hepburn is averaging 15.1 points, 4.5 assists and 3 steals per game. He’s third nationally with 28 steals through eight games.
Duke vs Louisville score prediction
Duke 84, Louisville 68: Pat Kelsey has brought a new energy to Louisville, but the Cardinals have been hammered by injuries of late. In its second road game of the season, Duke will continue its upward trend with a dominant defensive performance in Kentucky.
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Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
