3 Keys to a Michigan Basketball Victory Over Duke

Michigan basketball will take on the Duke Blue Devils for the first time since the 2013-14 season in a matchup between the No. 1 and No. 3 teams in the country in Washington, DC.

Here are three keys as to how the Wolverines can come up with a win on Saturday night.

Make everything difficult for Cam Boozer

Boozer has been one of college basketball's best this season.

As a freshman, he is averaging nearly 23 points per game and 10 rebounds, and leads the Blue Devils in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game.

As a scorer, he has gotten it done from all areas of the floor as a dominant finisher in the paint while also being an effective three-point shooter at 39%, while shooting nearly 60% from the field overall.

Cameron Boozer — Feb 16, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer (2) brings the ball to the basket against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Yaxel Lendeborg is an elite defender and stands as the same size as Boozer while only giving up 10 pounds, but considering Boozer's diverse offensive game and overall skill, it will be Lendeborg's most difficult challenge to date.

Lendeborg staying out of foul trouble will be key as the Wolverines don't really have anyone else to match up to Boozer from a size and quickness standpoint.

In Michigan's last game, the Wolverines faced another talented forward in Trey Kaufman-Renn from Purdue, who went for 27 points on 12-of-26 shooting. Boozer add another element with his shot making ability, but if Michigan can slow him down just a tad and make everything difficult for the Duke star, that will give the Wolverines a better chance to pull out the win.

Win the matchup of the point guards

From a point guard standpoint, Michigan's Elliot Cadeau has been more capable of making things happen than Duke's Caleb Foster has this season from the standpoint of scoring and setting teammates up.

Cadeau is averaging 10.5 and 5.5 assists per game while Foster is less involved in Duke's offense at 8.5 points per game and 2.5 assists.

Foster, however, is turning the ball over less times per game, and taking care of the ball will be a priority against Duke, who is a team that can make you pay in transition and out in the open floor.

When Cadeau has struggled, which hasn't been often. L.J. Cason has stepped up in a big way. For the Wolverines to win, both need to be playing at a high level in this one.

Compete on the glass

A big reason for the success for both of these teams this season has been the effort on the glass, with Duke being the 7th-best rebounding team in the country while Michigan comes in just behind that at 8th.

Michigan has three players (Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, Aday Mara) averaging over seven rebounds per game each. However, without having the ability to play Johnson and Mara much as the same time due to Duke's offensive versatility and being able to stretch Mara away from the basket, it will be that much more important for the Wolverines to compete on the board against the likes of Boozer and center Patrick Ngongba II.

Morez Johnson rebounds — Feb 17, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr. (21) has a rebound knocked away by Purdue Boilermakers center Oscar Cluff (45) during the first half at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

The Wolverines have been very good on the glass all season, but cannot afford to have a lapse like they did in the first half against UCLA, where the Bruins were +10 on the boards at halftime.