Duke basketball: Predicting every win and loss this season
By Matt Giles
Game 5: Duke basketball versus Lafayette
The Duke Blue Devils will host the Lafayette Leopards, unranked to start the year, on Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. ET (ACCN) in Cameron Indoor Stadium. This game will be Duke’s first against Lafayette in the Mike Krzyzewski era, as the last and only time these two programs met was a 93-77 Blue Devil win in 1977.
Like the Blue Devils, the Leopards will enjoy the guidance of a longtime head coach in Fran O’Hanlon. Although he’s entering his 27th season at Lafayette and riding a two-year streak in finishing above .500 overall, the program hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament since 2015. It is unlikely to do so this go-round either.
Also, unlike the Blue Devils, the Leopards lack depth in the post. Still, Lafayette’s 7-foot, 280-pound junior, Neal Quinn, earned an increased role as a sophomore in averaging 10.6 points and 5.5 boards. With his size and potential further gains in the offseason, he might hold on his own for a spell against Mark Williams, Paolo Banchero, or Theo John.
But it seems the Duke basketball big men should dominate down low when Quinn needs a breather or gets into foul trouble.
Predicted final score: Duke 105, Lafayette 61
The Blue Devils improve to 5-0 overall on the season.