Can Wake Forest Keep up with Cameron Boozer and Duke in a Rivalry Battle?

Wake Forest travels to Durham for a noon game against the Duke Blue Devils

Wake Forest forward Omaha Biliew dunks the ball for the Deacs against SMU | Evan Harris/Wake Forest on SI

The weather in North Carolina may be getting cold, but things are sure to heat up in Durham this weekend as Wake Forest travels to take on the Duke Blue Devils. The Deacs are coming off a disappointing home loss at the hands of the SMU Mustangs.

The 91-79 final score is a little misleading, as Wake trailed the Mustangs by nine going into the half, and then went down 20 in the second half before scoring some late baskets. It seemed like the Deacs could not string together any stops on the defensive end, as they let SMU make 14 threes, most of which were uncontested.

Now Wake Forest looks to turn the page, and things don't get any easier from here. They will go to Durham to take on the #5-ranked team in the land, the rival Duke Blue Devils. The game was originally scheduled to take place at 5:45, but due to the incoming weather, it was moved up to a noon tip.

Duke is led by five-star freshman and future top-five pick, Cameron Boozer. He is the clear favorite for ACC Player of the Year right now, averaging just about a double-double with 23.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. He is the fourth-leading scorer in all of Division One. Standing at 6'9" while still shooting the three-ball at 37.7%, the Deacs will need to find a solution to keep him in check.

Jan 14, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) drives to the net against California Golden Bears forward John Camden (2) during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

The supporting cast for Duke is also incredibly strong. Guard Isaiah Evans is averaging 14.6 points per game while shooting over 35% from three. Center Patrick Ngongba II is also averaging double figures and is a hard-to-manage inside.

Points in the Paint Battle

The good news for the Deacs is that Duke does not shoot the lights out from three, averaging only 34.7%, which is 132nd according to KenPom. However, Duke is the 3rd best team in the nation when it comes to converting on two-point attempts, making 62.7% of them.

This is not a good matchup for Wake Forest, as they are 306th in the nation at defending two-pointers. Their opponents have shot an average of 55.6% from two-point range. I guess that Duke will try to exploit this and go to the paint early and often. They will try to exert their size advantage by crashing the offensive glass as well, another area where Wake Forest is not strong in.

Overall, Duke is a very efficient team inside the arc, and the Deacs will have to find some way to throw them off their game and dramatically improve on defending the two-point shots.

The only positive for the Deacs is that they are top 25 in the nation at creating steals off their opponents, and Duke is 235th in the nation when it comes to giving up steals offensively. This is the only area where Wake may have a slight advantage and be able to generate some points off turnovers. However, they will have to be able to convert on these opportunities, shooting below 30% from three-point range for most of the game, like against SMU, will be nowhere near good enough to stay competitive.

This one will definitely be a tall task. Duke is rated 3rd overall according to KenPom and 2nd in the NET. Their only blemish this season was a loss against ranked Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden. The Deacs will just have to try to play the upset card. If they can stay consistent defensively and not go on long shooting lauls offensively, anything is possible. Remember, they pushed #3-ranked Michigan to the brink in Detroit at the beginning of the year.