Wofford @ Duke preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 31, 2014 ) Wofford 55, Duke 84

Third-ranked Duke navigated a difficult pair of games before finals break and should be well rested for another challenge when pesky Wofford visits Cameron Indoor Stadium on Thursday night. The Blue Devils won at No. 18 Michigan State 87-75 and at Virginia Tech 77-63 before a 12-day break while Wofford comes in off a victory at 23rd-ranked North Carolina on Sunday.

Duke is not likely to take any non-conference game lightly this season after losing to Stephen F. Austin at home in overtime Nov. 26, but must be sharp coming off the layoff against a Terriers team that drained 14 3-pointers overall against the Tar Heels and outscored them 36-28 in the second half. Freshman Vernon Carey Jr., a 6-10 center, is off to a great start to his career with the Blue Devils while averaging team highs of 18.5 points on 59.8 percent shooting from the field, 9.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. Carey should have his way with a relatively small Wofford front court, but the Terriers entered Wednesday fourth in the nation with 11.2 makes from 3-point range per game and are a confident bunch. “We know what comes with the intensity of this type of game,” Wofford junior guard Storm Murphy told reporters after the win at North Carolina. “We 100 percent believed we could do it and we were going to win. It was a blast. It was absolutely a thrill.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT WOFFORD (7-4): Murphy shoots 54.8 percent from the field overall - including 30-of-55 from 3-point range - to lead the Terriers in scoring (14.5) and senior guard Nathan Hoover (13.6) is the only other player averaging in double figures. Junior forward Chevez Goodwin chips in with 9.4 points along with a team-high 5.4 rebounds and shoots 58.3 percent from the field while Tray Hollowell adds nine points per contest. Senior guard Trevor Stumpe dropped in a season-high 19 points against North Carolina and freshman forward Messiah Jones has become a major factor, averaging 16 points over the last three games.

ABOUT DUKE (9-1): Sophomore point guard Tre Jones is also off to a strong start, averaging 15.6 points, and entered Wednesday eighth in the nation at 7.1 assists - 8.2 in the last five contests. Freshman guard Cassius Stanley (11.4 points per game) was hampered by a hamstring injury the last two games, managing to score just four total, but has had plenty of time to heal while freshman forward Matthew Hurt averages 10.5 points. Freshman forward Wendell Moore Jr. adds 7.2 points per game and junior guard Jordan Goldwire finished with career highs of 10 points and six rebounds in the victory at Virginia Tech.

TIP-INS

1. Duke senior F Jack White connected on 6-of-9 shots from the field the past two contests.

2. Wofford sophomore G Ryan Larson averages a team-best 2.7 assists and 3.8 points.

3. The Blue Devils recently self-reported a minor (Level III) NCAA recruiting violation, according to the Raleigh News & Observer.

PREDICTION: Duke 82, Wofford 70