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Duke Basketball: Injuries are the headline as the Blue Devils visit Hokies

By Kevin Connelly

SYRACUSE, NY - FEBRUARY 23: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome on February 23, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images)
SYRACUSE, NY - FEBRUARY 23: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the Carrier Dome on February 23, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. (Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images) /
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As the Duke Basketball team visits the Virginia Tech Hokies, the injury report is the biggest news story for both teams heading into Tuesday night.

While the entire country knows the story concerning Zion Williamson and his Grade 1 knee sprain, the Virginia Tech Hokies are also without its best player in Justin Robinson who injured his foot against Miami on January 30 and is out indefinitely.

Head Coach Buzz Williams confirmed that diagnosis once again on Monday to reporters.

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With both players out, it has been the Duke Blue Devils that have been able to adjust without its star much better than Virginia Tech.

The Blue Devils are coming off of an impressive 10-point victory on the road without Williamson, while Virginia Tech just hasn’t looked like the same team, despite its 5-3 record since Robinson went down.

Two of the three losses without Robinson have come at home for the Hokies against then No. 16 Louisville and then No. 3 Virginia, the only other loss came on the road against the Clemson Tigers.

As for Duke, two of its three losses on the season have come when the Blue Devils were less than fully healthy. A loss against Syracuse at Cameron Indoor Stadium without Cam Reddish and Tre Jones leaving in the opening minutes due to a shoulder injury and Wednesday’s loss against North Carolina when Zion Williamson left in the opening seconds with the knee issue.

The only other defeat the Blue Devils have is in the Championship Game of the Maui Invitational against the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

As for this matchup between the Blue Devils and the Hokies, R.J. Barrett is the player to keep an eye out for. The reigning ACC Freshman of the Week as posted a triple-double, a 33-point game, and a 30-point game in his last three games and once again without Williamson, Barrett will be the leader of the Blue Devil offense.

Mike Krzyzewski inserted Alex O’Connell and Javin DeLaurier on Saturday and took off the redshirt of Joey Baker, hoping for shooting help coming off the bench.

With a DNP for Jack White against Syracuse, if Coach K keeps the same starting five, it’ll be interesting to see how the rotation will play out on Tuesday night.

As for Virginia Tech, the Hokies are led by the trio of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kerry Blackshear Jr., and Ahmed Hill as the trio is averaging a combined 44.0 points per game on the season.

The Cassell Coliseum has not been kind to the Blue Devils in recent years, losing its last two trips to Blacksburg with Duke’s last win on the road coming in overtime on the 2014-15 season.

Duke thrives on the road this season, posting a 7-0 road record in true road games this season and is looking to keep pace with Virginia and North Carolina atop of the ACC.

Tip-off is set for 7:00pm ET and can be see on on ESPN.

PREDICTION: Duke 76, Virginia Tech 67

Stay tuned to Ball Durham on Twitter, @Ball_Durham, and here at our website, balldurham.com, for complete coverage of the Duke Blue Devils vs. the Virginia Tech Hokies.  

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