For the second straight year and the third time in the last four years, IU will play Duke as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
The annual in-season college basketball series was established in 1999, and recent years have seen the Hoosiers and Blue Devils match up frequently.
Duke won at home against IU in 2015, before fighting off a tough challenge at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall last season to win by 10 points.
The Blue Devils are once again one of the top-ranked teams in country and will be the favorite to win Tuesday night’s game at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
Before IU tries to pull off an upset win, here are three things to know about this blockbuster nonconference game.
1. Duke’s team is more than just star forward Zion Williamson.
Those tuning in to the ESPN program “SportsCenter” or listening to sports talk radio have likely heard the name Zion Williamson on repeat to start the college basketball season.
The freakishly athletic and ridiculously talented freshman forward has already garnered comparisons to LeBron James just six games into his college career.
While Williamson averages more than 20 points and nearly 10 rebounds a game for the Blue Devils, along with contributing several highlight-reel dunks each night, his team isn’t just a one-man show.
Fellow freshman forwards RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish are comparable in size and scoring ability to Williamson. All three players are listed as being either 6-feet-7-inches or 6-feet-8-inches tall, and each averages at least 16 points per game.
This will create matchup nightmares for the Hoosiers, as players like senior forwards Juwan Morgan and Evan Fitzner will be forced to play tight defense near the basket without getting into foul trouble.
Junior forward De’Ron Davis also has a key part to play for the Hoosiers, if he’s healthy enough to be on the court after dealing with some Achilles soreness, as IU’s main rim protector against Duke. The Blue Devils have a junior big man of their own, center Marques Bolden, who is set to directly match up against Davis.
Near the three-point line, IU’s guards will be occupied with another Duke freshman, guard Tre Jones, who averages nearly six assists and just one turnover per contest. Jones, along with junior forward Jack White and sophomore guard Alex O’Connell, represents Duke’s most prolific three-point shooters.
Williamson is an impressive player who has already gained national attention thanks to his NBA Draft prospects, but the Hoosiers will have to contend with a plethora of effective players Tuesday night in a difficult environment.
Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski simply doesn’t lose nonconference games at home. Duke has won 141 straight nonconference games at Cameron Indoor Stadium, last losing in this situation against St. John’s in February 2000.
2. IU’s injury situation is a major concern entering the game.
The Hoosiers will have a much better chance at winning Tuesday’s game, or at least keeping it close, if guards junior Devonte Green and senior Zach McRoberts are deemed healthy enough to play.
Green, with a thigh bruise, and McRoberts, with a lower back strain, haven’t played for IU since a blowout home win against Montana State on Nov. 9. Without their services, IU’s defense has had lapses against Arkansas, Texas-Arlington and California-Davis, and scoring by bench players has become nonexistent.
McRoberts is a key figure defensively for IU, with the experience to be trusted to guard talented opposing players and the grit to fight for loose balls. Green helped with IU’s bench scoring in his limited playing time this season, forming an effective combination with freshman guard Rob Phinisee after Phinisee took over starting duties.
Prior to Friday’s game against UC-Davis, IU Coach Archie Miller said he was hopeful both players could return to practice in the next week and be healthy enough to play against Duke.
More will be learned about their injury status during Miller’s media conference Monday, but IU’s chances against Duke would be significantly helped with the return of either player.
3. Both teams’ freshman phenoms will take center stage on national television.
This game is considered the crown jewel of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge contests this season. Slated for a 9:30 p.m. start on ESPN, this game has been heavily featured in television promotions throughout the past few days.
As such, national attention will be focused on the game, and in particular the young stars taking part in it.
Phinisee and fellow IU freshman guard Romeo Langford will have their hands full trying to impress against Duke’s latest group of young players. It will be the biggest stage for both Phinisee and Langford in their young IU careers, but they don’t appear to be phased by the opportunity.
“It really is not like really me, freshmen against freshmen or upperclassmen,” Langford said. “It’s Indiana against Duke. It’s really a team effort.”
