Duke Blue Devils vs Miami Hurricanes Prediction & Match Preview - February 1, 2021 | NCAA Men's Basketball
The Miami Hurricanes will take on the Duke Blue Devils in an ACC battle on Monday night.
The Blue Devils are coming off an impressive victory over the Clemson Tigers on Saturday afternoon to move 5-3 in the ACC.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have severely underperformed this season. They have lost their last four games and have a 2-9 record in conference play. Miami is currently ranked 14th out of the ACC's 15 teams.
Match Details
Fixture: Duke Blue Devils vs Miami Hurricanes - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Monday, February 1st, 2021, 7 PM ET
Venue: Watsco Center, Coral Gables, Florida
Duke Blue Devils Preview
The Duke Blue Devils 7-5 record does not uphold the high standards of a Mike Krzyzewski side, but they still sit just two games out of first place in the ACC after their win against the Clemson Tigers, 79-53.
The Blue Devils looked balanced on offense in their latest victory. They got 31 points off the bench and had five players produce double-digit points. Duke was also very efficient on the defensive side of the ball. They held the Tigers to 35.1% shooting from the field and forced 13 turnovers.
The Duke Blue Devils will need to continue their balanced effort against the shorthanded Miami Hurricanes on Sunday night.
Key Player - Matthew Hurt
The best player on the Duke Blue Devils this season has been Matthew Hurt. The sophomore forward is averaging a team-leading 18.7 points and 7.8 rebounds on 53.8% shooting.
Matthew Hurt's play this season has him in contention for the 2021 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.
Hurt will need to maintain his season averages on Monday night if the Blue Devils are to earn their third consecutive win.
Duke Blue Devils Predicted Lineup
F Wendell Moore Jr., F Matthew Hurt, F Jalen Johnson, G Jordan Goldwire, G DJ Steward
Miami Hurricanes Preview
The Miami Hurricanes are going through a terrible slump and have now lost four games in a row - all by double-digit points to boot.
In the depleted Hurricanes' latest loss to the Wake Forest Demon Deacon, 66-54, they had just seven active players. To make things worse, their star player Isaiah Wong left the game early with an ankle injury.
In another blow, freshman Matt Cross left the program altogether on Thursday. Here is what Miami's head coach Jim Larranaga said about the matter, via ESPN:
I probably just was not the right coach for him. I have my own way of doing things. You've got to buy into that approach...I just came to the conclusion the best thing would be for him to find someplace where he would be happier.
It seems, with the way this season is going for the Miami Hurricanes, everyone is unhappy and an upset win on Monday night is unlikely to change things much.
Key Player - Isaiah Wong
Isaiah Wong is the key player for the Miami Hurricanes. The sophomore guard is leading the team in scoring with 17.4 points on 43.6%. Wong currently is listed as the 5th highest scorer in the ACC and has seven 20+ performance, via Caneshoop,
However, due to Wong suffering an ankle injury in the second half of his previous game, his status against the Duke Blue Devils is questioned.
If there is one thing the Miami Hurricanes can not afford this season, it is an injury-related absence for Isaiah Wong.
Miami Hurricanes Predicted Lineup
F Kameron McGusty, F Anthony Walker, C Deng Gak, G Isaiah Wong, G Harlond Beverly
Duke vs Miami Prediction
The Duke Blue Devils will defeat the Miami Hurricanes in the ACC showdown on Monday night.
The Miami Hurricanes have too many key players out with injuries and are up against a Blue Devils side that is currently trending in the right direction.
Expect a solid game from Matthew Hurt, who scored 22 points in his game against the Miami Hurricanes last season.
Where to watch Duke vs Miami
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.