Duke basketball defense under unique challenge in Jimmy V Classic

The Duke basketball defense will have a massive challenge on Tuesday night. 

The best aspect of the Duke basketball team this year has been its defense but the No. 15 Blue Devils (8-2) will have one of its toughest tests of the season on Tuesday night when it battles with the Iowa Hawkeyes (6-1) in the Jimmy V Classic.

Iowa possesses one of the best player in the country with junior forward Kris Murray.

Murray, a fringe 2023 first round draft pick, is averaging 21.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game while shooting an incredible 51.4-percent from the floor and 40.5-percent from 3-point range.

Kris Murray is coming off of a 31-point, 20-rebound showing on Tuesday night against Georgia Tech and also posted 29 points and 11 rebounds in a road victory over Seton Hall earlier in the season.

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The 6-foot-8 All-American candidate saw his brother, Keegan Murray, be selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and has filled his shoes with ease for head coach Fran McCaffery.

Duke basketball defense on sizzling trajectory

Iowa has a high octane offense that averages 86.4 points per game but will be facing a Duke defense that is only surrendering 58.7 points per contest.

The Blue Devils are allowing its foes to connect on 39.8-percent from the field but only a stifling 26.7-percent from 3-point range.

Duke should have a significant advantage in the rebounding category and inside the paint as the tallest player in the rotation of the Hawkeyes is just 6-foot-9 while the Blue Devils sport two 7-footers in its starting lineup with Dereck Lively II and Kyle Filipowski.

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Jon Scheyer’s talented front-line is out-rebounding teams by an average of 9.9 boards per game.

Tipoff of the Jimmy V Classic inside Madison Square Garden is slated for 9:30p.m. ET (ESPN), approximately a half an hour following the completion of No. 2 Texas (6-0) and No. 17 Illinois (6-2).