Three Keys to Victory for No. 11 Virginia vs. No. 1 Duke on Saturday

The Virginia Cavaliers can pull off another victory if they do these three things.

Virginia Cavaliers center Ugonna Onyenso and Miami Hurricanes forward Shelton Henderson | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers are just one day away from facing the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, N.C. The Blue Devils are ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 with a 25-2 overall record, while the Cavaliers come in at No. 11. Now, the two programs will face off as the Hoos aim to extend their winning streak to 10 games and solidify themselves as true contenders.

Let's take a look at the three keys that could unlock another victory for the Cavaliers.

Pressure Cameron Boozer

Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer and Syracuse Orange forward Donnie Freeman | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

This is going to be the number one factor in this weekend's matchup. The 6'9" freshman leads Duke in points, rebounds and assists, and has for quite some time. So far this season, Boozer is averaging 22.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, while shooting 58.3% from the floor.

His strongest matchup this year was back in November against Indiana State, when he posted 35 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and three steals. If he performs anywhere near that well once Saturday rolls around, the Hoos are in trouble. However, if the Cavaliers apply pressure to Boozer and force turnovers, they have a much better shot at coming out on top.

Win the Rebound Battle

Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs De Ridder and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Jaeden Mustaf | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

During UVA's last matchup against NC State, Virginia won the rebound battle 40-36. Winning the rebound battle again this week will be imperative to the Hoos' success. Interestingly enough, Virginia leads the ACC in rebounding (41.3), but Duke trails behind at 40.0.

As mentioned, Boozer is the leading rebounder for the Blue Devils. Thijs De Ridder leads UVA with 6.3 rebounds per game, and the Cavaliers will be depending on him to step up in this department on Saturday.

Succeed With Late-Game Execution

Virginia Cavaliers guard Dallin Hall | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

As incredible as winning by a large margin would be, this is expected to be another tight matchup. Fortunately, the Hoos are quite used to finishing with close scores, but it's more important now than ever for Virginia to pull off a late-game execution.

Throughout this season, the Blue Devils have generally maintained large leads, with their latest being a 100-56 victory over Notre Dame. Not only will the Cavaliers need to keep pace with Duke, but they will need to be able to pull ahead in the final moments.

"... we're just going to do what we always do, that's get ready for the next one," head coach Ryan Odom stated during a recent media appearance. "And we know that the challenge that lies ahead there - the number one team in the country, extremely well coached, extremely talented and together and tough, and so we're going to have to play our best to have a chance to win."

Tipoff for the Virginia-Duke matchup is scheduled for Saturday at 12 p.m. ET. Pressure is on, and the Hoos must come out on top if they want to be a serious contender.