[Flamers]

Must be the Goose that wrote this. Virginia will probably blow Duke out of the waters right? but this is garbage!


GAME NOTES: The eighth-ranked Duke Blue Devils hope to score their sixth straight ACC win tonight as they take on the surging Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville. After losing its first two league games, Duke and its fans were in the odd position of looking up at the rest of the conference from last place. Fortunately, the five straight wins have enabled the Blue Devils to improve to 18-3 overall, and they are clearly in competition for yet another ACC crown. Sunday's win was impressive, as the squad beat a strong Boston College club by a 75-61 final. Like Duke, Virginia owns a 5-2 ACC record and the team has won its last four outings to improve to 13-6 overall. The Cavaliers are coming off a 64-63 decision over nationally-ranked Clemson, and while that game took place on the road, the club carries a 10-1 home record into tonight's contest. Duke owns a commanding 107-47 lead in the all-time series with Virginia, and the Blue Devils have won the last nine meetings.

Josh McRoberts was outstanding for Duke in the win over Boston College on Sunday, as the versatile forward finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. DeMarcus Nelson led the Blue Devils with 17 points, while Jon Scheyer (11) and Lance Thomas (10) scored in double figures as well. Duke connected on 50 percent of its field goal attempts in the clash and earned a 41-30 rebounding advantage, the two most obvious factors that led to the win. Overall this season, Nelson is scoring a team-high 14.5 ppg, and McRoberts checks in with 13.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 83 assists and 52 blocked shots. In ACC play, it is the freshman Scheyer who paces the Blue Devils with his 15.0 ppg. Duke is only allowing 61.3 ppg to league foes.

J.R. Reynolds has been on a major roll for Virginia in recent weeks, including a 40-point effort against Wake Forest back on January 21st. Reynolds has been the leading scorer for the Cavaliers in three straight outings and in five of the last six, and he is now averaging 18.2 ppg, including 22.0 ppg in league play. Fellow guard Sean Singletary is posting 19.0 ppg this season on the strength of his 40.2 percent shooting from three-point range and 91.3 percent accuracy from the foul line. The standout guard has also dished out 95 assists, proof of his unselfishness. Reynolds scored 18 points in the thrilling victory over Clemson on Sunday, as he led four Cavs in double figures. Virginia earned a 39-29 rebounding advantage in that clash, helping to overcome a rather high total of 18 turnovers.

Expect Virginia to upset Duke tonight, as the Cavs are playing with a wealth of confidence and will get plenty of support from the home crowd.

[bigboydan]

I too have a small lean towards Virginia in this game.