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All eyes are on probably the most anticipated matchup for the ACC/SEC Problem, which is Duke internet hosting the defending Nationwide Champion Florida Gators.
At present, the Gators are a struggling workforce, splitting their video games in San Diego, with a loss to TCU and a win over Windfall. In the meantime, we’re taking a look at a powerful Duke workforce that has but to lose a recreation.
Heading into this matchup, audiences shall be watching a Florida workforce seeking to show what its ceiling is that this season. The non-conference matchup brings tons of pleasure, as Duke seems so as to add to its resume for a possible No. 1 NCAA tourney seed down the road.
Coming off a dominant efficiency by freshman Cameron Boozer, the No. 1 participant within the Ballilsife Nationwide POY Ladder, in opposition to Arkansas, all eyes shall be on how the 2025 Mr. Basketball USA at Columbus (Miami) performs in opposition to Florida’s entrance court docket. As for Florida, the largest headline this season is Princeton switch Xaivian Lee and his struggles with taking pictures the ball. Nonetheless within the win over Windfall, Lee recorded 20 factors, his season excessive to date. Florida head coach Todd Golden said how important Lee’s scoring could be to the workforce, “It clearly raises our ceiling fairly a bit.”
For each groups, this recreation means rather a lot, however for various causes. Proper now Duke is 2-0 in opposition to SEC groups and one other non-conference win can be a notch on its resume. For Florida, a win would imply this workforce is to be taken as a critical contender come March.
Duke is an distinctive defensive workforce, permitting 58.8 factors, good for third within the nation. Offensively, it’s averaging 91.9 factors a recreation. For Duke to win, it might want to win the rebound battle, because the Gators are the most effective workforce within the nation on the boards. If middle Patrick Ngongba II has an enormous recreation on the glass, the Blue Devils shall be in enterprise.
No. 4 Duke (8-0) vs. No. 15 Florida (5-2)
The place: Cameron Indoor Stadium; Durham, N.C.
When: Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025; 7:30 PM EST
Watch: ESPN
Line: Duke -8.5
Affect Gamers
For the Blue Devils, they will want as a lot manufacturing as attainable from their guards, nonetheless, Ngongba II’s impression goes to be important. The Gators usually run three bigs, so Duke goes to wish to push again in opposition to Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Rueben Chinyelu.
For the Gators, Lee is beginning to discover his footing and knock down photographs, so his manufacturing shall be most important. We all know what to anticipate from the Gators’ front-court, nonetheless followers don’t know what to anticipate from Florida’s guards every recreation. With Duke operating three guards, this implies the Gators’ perimeter protection might want to step up, and likewise make key photographs. Lee and Boogie Fland must end robust for the Gators.
For the sequence, Duke leads 5-2, relationship again to 1973. The final time these two groups met was in 2017, with Duke successful 87-84.
Prediction
Florida wants extra from Fland, and are going to wish an distinctive recreation from Lee to have an opportunity at successful the sport. Though Florida was in a position to keep its entrance court docket from final season, it’s not going to be sufficient to beat the powerhouse workforce coach Jon Scheyer has created.
With the best way Duke has been dominating its opponents, it’s arduous to select in opposition to them. Florida goes to place up a battle, however its struggles from the sphere will rear its ugly head.
Last Rating: Duke 95, Florida 87
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