Duke basketball closes out its west coast tilt at Stanford on Saturday, Jan. 17.
The No. 6 Blue Devils (16-1, 5-0 ACC) and head coach Jon Scheyer are set to take on the Cardinal (14-4, 3-2) and head coach Kyle Smith at Maples Pavilion (6 p.m. ET, ACC Network). Duke has won its last two meetings with Stanford, with the all-time series tied at two games apiece.
Duke basketball closes out its west coast tilt at Stanford on Saturday, Jan. 17.
The No. 6 Blue Devils (16-1, 5-0 ACC) and head coach Jon Scheyer are set to take on the Cardinal (14-4, 3-2) and head coach Kyle Smith at Maples Pavilion (6 p.m. ET, ACC Network). Duke has won its last two meetings with Stanford, with the all-time series tied at two games apiece.The Blue Devils are coming off a 71-56 win at Cal behind 17 second-half points from Cameron Boozer as the freshman logged his eighth double-double of the season. Isaiah Evans had his fifth-straight game in double figures as Duke delivered arguably its best defensive performance of ACC play, holding the Golden Bears to a season-low 56 points on 36.5% shooting. Cal leading scorer Dai Dai Ames was limited to eight points, all of which came in the second half.
The Blue Devils are coming off a 71-56 win at Cal behind 17 second-half points from Cameron Boozer as the freshman logged his eighth double-double of the season. Isaiah Evans had his fifth-straight game in double figures as Duke delivered arguably its best defensive performance of ACC play, holding the Golden Bears to a season-low 56 points on 36.5% shooting. Cal leading scorer Dai Dai Ames was limited to eight points, all of which came in the second half.
Stanford is coming off a 95-90 win over No. 15/14 UNC, its second-straight ranked win at home. Freshman Ebuka Okorie, the ACC’s leading scorer, poured in a season-high 36 points as the Cardinal shot 57.1% from the field and from 3-point range.
Here are some things to know and a score prediction for Duke’s matchup with Stanford:
How will Duke basketball defense contain Ebuka Okorie?
Okorie enters the contest as the ACC’s leading scorer just ahead of Duke’s Cameron Boozer, averaging 22.9 points per game compared to Boozer’s 22.8. Coming off his season high vs. UNC, Okorie has nine games with 25 points or more on the season and four with 30-plus. Okorie is shooting at a 44.5% clip from the field and 32.6% from 3, coming off a game against the Tar Heels where he was 9-of-15 from the field.
Duke’s ability to slow Okorie will be crucial to its defensive game plan. The Blue Devils showed they can neutralize a primary scoring option in their last outing, holding Cal leading scorer Dai Dai Ames scoreless in the first half and limiting him to eight points overall.
While Okorie drives Stanford’s offense, forward Chisom Okpara is averaging 13.9 points per game while guard Benny Gealer is averaging 10.4.
Duke’s interior presence
In each of their four losses, Stanford has been outscored by its opponents in the paint. The largest margin was by 20 (48-28) in the loss to UNLV. In its most recent loss to Virginia, the Cardinal was outscored 36-22 in the paint by the Cavaliers, including a 13-2 disadvantage on second-chance points.
In its win against the Golden Bears, the Blue Devils dominated in the paint, 42-16, and second-chance points, 17-2. Duke hammered the interior, particularly in the second half, and finished the game shooting 70% on 2-point attempts. Cameron Boozer played a central role, going 69.2% from inside the arc.
Duke’s dominance inside could be a deciding factor at Stanford. Per KenPom, Duke ranks third nationally with a 2-point percentage of 62.9%. Stanford’s defense, meanwhile, is allowing opponents to shoot 51.7% from inside the arc. The Blue Devils also very well have size on their side, ranking second in average height on KenPom (79.4″) while Stanford is 173rd (77.4″).
Can Blue Devils be second ACC team to sweep west coast swing?
Since Cal and Stanford officially joined the ACC in 2024, Wake Forest is the lone program to have swept its conference West Coast swing, accomplishing the feat last season. On Saturday, Duke has a chance to become the first team to do so this season and the second overall.
The Blue Devils also enter the game on a six-game winning streak in ACC road games. Stanford, meanwhile, is 9-3 at home this season, with its last two home wins coming against ranked opponents Louisville and North Carolina. Overall, the Cardinal has won four straight home games against ranked teams.
Stanford’s last home loss came Dec. 30, a 47-40 setback against Notre Dame in which the Cardinal were limited to nine made field goals and shot 34.6% from the floor. Okorie was held to a season-low seven points on three made field goals, going 0-of-6 from deep, in that game before bouncing back with 28 points in his next outing.
Duke vs Stanford score prediction
Duke 78, Stanford 70: The league’s leading scorer Ebuka Okorie provides a big test for the Duke defense, coming off its strongest outing yet of ACC play. However, the Blue Devils interior dominance and ability to contain Ebuka Okorie should decide the game.
