Duke basketball vs Florida State: Score prediction, scouting report for Blue Devils

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Duke basketball has two of its top players out with injuries as the calendar flips to March.

The second-ranked Blue Devils (25-3, 16-1 ACC) are rolling toward an ACC regular-season championship, but Maliq Brown has been sidelined with a shoulder injury and Tyrese Proctor is dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee.

Despite the adversity, the show goes on with Florida State (16-12, 7-10) coming to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday (7 p.m., ACC Network). Duke is 44-11 against FSU, including wins in 24 of the 26 games played on Coach K Court. The Devils have won 12 of the last 14 games in the series.

Here’s a preview, some players to watch and a score prediction for Duke vs. Florida State.

How will Duke basketball deal with Tyrese Proctor injury?

The Blue Devils have rolled out the same starting lineup since the Auburn game, logging a 20-1 record with Tyrese Proctor, Kon Knueppel, Sion James, Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach as the first five. As Proctor recovers from a bone bruise in his left knee, Duke coach Jon Scheyer could go back to Caleb Foster as the fifth starter. Foster started the first seven games of the season, but struggled in losses to Kentucky and Kansas. The sophomore guard has reached double figures in three of the last four games, but freshman wing Isaiah Evans looks like the leading candidate to be inserted into the starting lineup. Evans has averaged 16.6 points on 66% shooting in the last three games. He stepped in as a second-half starter for Proctor at Miami.

Khaman Maluach, Patrick Ngongba vs Florida State’s frontcourt

Duke and Florida State are two of the tallest teams in the nation. That puts Duke centers Khaman Maluach and Patrick Ngongba in the spotlight against several Seminoles in the frontcourt. Maluach is averaging 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in the last two games, with Ngonba averaging seven points and five boards. FSU center Malique Ewin sustained an ankle injury against UNC, so his status is uncertain for Saturday. But the ‘Noles still…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/duke-basketball-vs-florida-state-090303772.html

Author : The Fayetteville Observer

Publish date : 2025-02-28 09:03:00

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