What: Duke vs. Illinois

When: 9:30 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium

TV: ESPN

Radio: Blue Devil Sports Network

Series Record: Duke leads, 5-2

Coach: Mike Krzyzewski (1,159-351)

Possible Starters

C 7-0 Mark Williams (2.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG)

F 6-5 Wendell Moore Jr. (6.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG)

F 6-9 Jalen Johnson (13.0 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2 BPG)

F 6-9 Matthew Hurt (19.0 PPG, 8.7 RPG)

G 6-2 Jordan Goldwire (6.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, 2.3 SPG)

Key reserves

G 6-2 DJ Steward (11.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.3 APG)

G 6-1 Jeremy Roach (5.3 PPG, 2.6 APG)

F 6-8 Jaemyn Brakefield (8.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG)

G 6-6 Joey Baker (1.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG)

Matthew Hurt

After a so-so opening game against Coppin State, Matthew Hurt has come alive in Duke’s last two games. For the season, Hurt is now averaging 19 points and 8.7 rebounds per game on over 50% shooting both from the field and from behind the 3-point line. He’s taken a huge leap in nearly every aspect compared to last season. He’s quicker, and stronger than a year ago which he has utilized to become more of a factor down low defensively and on the glass.

Freshman Forwards

Jalen Johnson and Jaemyn Brakefield have emerged as a couple of Duke’s more intriguing pieces so far this season. Johnson got off to a hot start against Coppin State, but has had uneven performances since. Meanwhile, Brakefield barely played against Coppin State, but has had impressive and efficient performances since, including becoming the first freshman in Duke history to go 4-for-4 or better from beyond the arc in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Both Johnson and Brakefield are extremely talented, but playing like it on a consistent basis will be key.

Half court offense

Through three games, Duke’s offense has been anything but pretty. Between the lack of ball movement and the high turnover rates, Duke has struggled to score the ball in the halfcourt. Against an opponent like Illinois, Duke will need to improve in this aspect in order to come away with the victory.

Matching up with Kofi Cockburn

One storyline to monitor entering the game is how Duke plans to match up with Kofi Cockburn. Cockburn is a 285-pound behemoth who could cause Duke some serious matchup problems. Duke could play freshman center Mark Williams more frequently in an effort to hold Cockburn in check, or they could try to mimic how Baylor handled him in their meeting last week. Baylor continually forced Cockburn to switch onto one of their guards before attacking him off the bounce. Cockburn got in foul trouble and struggled to stay on the floor, playing just 18 minutes in the loss.

Coach: Brad Underwood (159-77)

Possible Starters

G 6-5 Ayo Dosunmu (23.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 6.3 APG)

G 6-2 Trent Frazier (9.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG)

G 6-3 Adam Miller (14.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG)

G 6-3 Da’Monte Williams (7.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG)

C 7-0 Kofi Cockburn (13.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG)

Key Reserves

G 6-1 Andre Curbelo (10.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG)

F 6-9 Giorgi Bezhanishvili (7.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG)

Ayo Dosunmu

After nearly leaving Illinois for the NBA draft following his sophomore season, Ayo Dosunmu appears to have taken his game to the next level in his junior season. He’s averaging nearly 24 points per game on efficient shooting; he is connecting on 50% from the field and 47% from 3-point range. He’s also been a factor as a rebounder and he’s gotten others involved, averaging 6.3 assists per game. He’s been a star so far this season, and will be a problem that Duke may not be able to handle.

Glue guy

Da’Monte Williams has once again proven his value as a glue guy this season. Head coach Brad Underwood even describes Williams as the team's leader. But this season, Williams might be more. In his first three seasons, Williams wasn’t much of a scoring threat, averaging just 3.2 points. However, he’s emerged as a really strong 3-point shooter this season, making almost 64% (7-of-11) of his attempts. Having an extra shooting threat on the floor improves Illinois’ ceiling and could help take down Duke.

Creating turnovers

Illinois is off to a very strong start to the season in most aspects, but they haven’t been able to force turnovers. In fact, they’ve been one of the worst teams in the country at forcing turnovers. Their opponents are averaging just 10 turnovers per game, and Illinois is only averaging 4.3 steals per game. Against a Duke team that has struggled to take care of the ball, will Illinois be able to amp up the pressure and force some turnovers? That could be a deciding factor in the outcome of the game.