It goes without saying that Duke freshman Cameron Boozer has been above and beyond elite so far this season for the Blue Devils.
However, as No. 3 Duke prepares to take on the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines, Boozer will have to be even better than usual for the Blue Devils to pull off the upset.
One major area of focus that Boozer needs to hone in on ahead of Saturday is his rim protection, something that has been a slight flaw in his game and is, unfortunately, a major strength of the Wolverines.
Boozer's rim game crucial in Duke's game vs. Michigan
While Boozer might be dominant in the paint and off the glass on the offensive end of the court, his defensive game close to the basket is lacking.
Meanwhile, Michigan has been virtually unstoppable when it attacks the rim, scoring more than 40 points per game in the paint.
In other words, while center Patrick Ngongba and power forward Maliq Brown will have to be their usual dominant presences in the paint, Boozer is going to have to ratchet it up a notch to keep the Blue Devils within reach of the Wolverines.
The best news is that Boozer's defensive game isn't the sole determinant of whether the Blue Devils can pull off the upset over the No. 1 team in the nation. As in every other game Duke has played this season, the Blue Devils have to focus on making their free throws and minimizing the attempts for Michigan.
Similarly, Duke needs to continue to excel at creating second-chance opportunities on offense, having averaged nearly 12 offensive rebounds per game. On the other end of the court, the Blue Devils will have their hands full trying to shut down Michigan stars Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara.
The pair of Wolverines combine for 25.6 points and 14.6 rebounds per game, joined by Morez Johnson Jr. and Elliot Cadeau in consistent double-digit scoring.
Simply put, everyone on Duke's roster is going to have to play their absolute best games if Jon Scheyer's squad is going to complete the regular-season top-three win.