Illinois Fighting Illini vs Duke Blue Devils Prediction & Match Preview - December 8, 2020 | NCAA Men's Basketball
Match Details
Fixture: Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Duke Blue Devils - NCAA Men's Basketball- ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Date & Time: Tuesday, December 8th, 2020, 9:30 PM ET
Venue: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina
A highly anticipated top-10 matchup is set to go off this Tuesday in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge battle against the No. 5 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils. Illinois will be making the trip to Durham to set off one of the challenge's first slate of games.
Illinois Fighting Illini Preview
Despite coming off a loss to the No. 2 Baylor Bears, the Illinois Fighting Illini (3-1) are off to a strong start in their 2020-2021 campaign.
The Illinois Fighting Illini's top scorer, Ayo Dosunmu, is back for his junior season and has averaged 24 points and 6 assists to start the season. Along with the projected first-round draft pick in Dosunmu, Illinois' Kofi Cockburn has also returned for his sophomore season. The two preseason All-Big Ten players will need to be on their A-game to help the Illinois Fighting Illini take down the Blue Devils.
Key Player - Kofi Cockburn
Kofi Cockburn will be the key player for the Illinois Fighting Illini against the Duke Blue Devils. The 7-footer struggled in the previous game against Baylor and got into early foul trouble. This season, Cockburn is averaging 13 points and 10 rebounds. He will need to be disciplined on both sides of the floor and control the boards for the Fighting Illini on Tuesday.
Illinois Fighting Illini Predicted Lineup
Kofi Cockburn, Trent Frazier, Da'Monte Williams, Ayo Dosunmu, Adam Miller
Duke Blue Devils Preview
The Duke Blue Devils (2-1) are looking to start a winning streak to go along with their romping of the Bellarmine Knights. The Blue Devils brought in a top-10 recruiting class this season, making them incredibly young but extremely talented with loads of potential. The early play from the Blue Devils is promising.
Coach Krzyzewski will need to continue to coach up his young squad and find an offensive identity. The Duke Blue Devils have struggled shooting the ball this season, with a total shooting percentage of just 46 percent.
Key Player - Mattew Hurt
Matthew Hurt has been the glue for the Duke Blue Devils and will need to play a key role in the game against Illinois. The sophomore forward has scored double digits in all three of Duke's games thus far. He is looking far more confident than he did in his freshman season with the Duke Blue Devils and will need to take it up a notch to snatch his team a win against the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Duke Blue Devils Predicted Lineup
Wendell Moore Jr., Matthew Hurt, Jalen Johnson, Mark Williams, Jordan Goldwire
Illinois vs Duke Prediction
The star power of the Illinois Fighting Illini will be too much for the young Duke Blue Devils. Look for Illinois to go to 4-1 after the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Where to watch Illinois vs Duke
The game will be broadcasted on ESPN.