Duke basketball keys to avoiding season sweep against Louisville

Duke basketball No. 3 Key to Victory – Get Matthew Hurt Going Offensively

After his 37-point performance against Louisville, Matthew Hurt hasn’t really had it going offensively.

Hurt was 15-of-21 from the floor against the Cardinals in Durham, 2-of-6 from three-point range, and 5-of-6 from the free throw line.

The sophomore forward was on the cusp of another great game against Georgia Tech before foul trouble sent him to the bench and eventually disqualified him as he finished with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in 29 minutes.

Not one player on the roster had a good game against North Carolina, but Hurt was 6-of-16 from the field and 2-of-10 from three-point range for 14 points in the 18-point loss.

In the first meeting against the Cardinals, Hurt finished with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 4-of-5 from downtown in 35 minutes but eventually fouled out with 1:50 left and Duke leading by one, 63-62.

The Blue Devils didn’t need production from Hurt in their win over Boston College, ending the afternoon with just eight points on 2-of-6 shooting, but the ACC’s Most Improved Player is going to have to make a difference on Wednesday night.

Perhaps seeing the name ‘Louisville’ across the chest of his defender will get him in the right frame of mind to have another historic night.