Preview nuts and bolts for tonight's game can be found below.
Programming note: I'll be there with full coverage.
Here’s what to know ahead of Saturday's championship game:
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte.
TV: ESPN.
Announcers: Dave O'Brien (play-by-play), Dick Vitale and Cory Alexander (analysts) and Angel Gray (sidelines).
Series; last meeting: Duke leads 16-9; Duke won 76-65 on Dec. 8 at Louisville, the ACC opener for each team. The Blue Devils trailed by 14 in the first half because of a hot-shooting start from Louisville; Cooper Flagg had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Tyrese Proctor (13 points) and Kon Kneuppel (12) combined for 25 points.
Records: Louisville 27-6; Duke 30-3.
A win would mean: Louisville would win its first ACC championship; Duke would win its 23rd ACC championship.
Stat to watch: 15.
That was the number of turnovers Louisville had against Duke in the December matchup. Louisville committed the same number of turnovers in its win over Clemson on Friday night.
Matchup to watch: Louisville wing Terrence Edwards Jr. (No. 5) vs. Duke wing Kon Knueppel (No. 7).
Edwards draws the assignment of the opponents' best guard or wing -- not ACC defensive player of the year Chucky Hepburn -- and that has been Knueppel in Duke's two games in Charlotte. The Duke freshman has a combined 45 points on 12-for-25 shooting, with 9 rebounds, 11 assists and 6 turnovers in two games of the ACC tournament.
Cardinal to watch: Chucky Hepburn (No. 24).
He's coming off a 6-steal game and in Louisville's previous game, he hit a buzzer-beating shot to beat Stanford.
Blue Devil to watch: Tyrese Proctor (No. 5).
The numbers didn't indicate it so much, but Proctor had a great impact on Duke's win, including a crucial bucket down the stretch. He's the only player on either roster who has played in an ACC championship game in his career.
What’s on deck: Selection Sunday, with each of these teams safely in the field, is next. The bracket will be announced with a show that starts at 6 p.m. on CBS.
KenPom prediction: Duke wins 79-69.
Injury report: Duke will be without Flagg and Maliq Brown. Louisville has been without its best 3-point shooter, Reyne Smith, for the last three games.
Programming note: I'll be there with full coverage.
Here’s what to know ahead of Saturday's championship game:
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte.
TV: ESPN.
Announcers: Dave O'Brien (play-by-play), Dick Vitale and Cory Alexander (analysts) and Angel Gray (sidelines).
Series; last meeting: Duke leads 16-9; Duke won 76-65 on Dec. 8 at Louisville, the ACC opener for each team. The Blue Devils trailed by 14 in the first half because of a hot-shooting start from Louisville; Cooper Flagg had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Tyrese Proctor (13 points) and Kon Kneuppel (12) combined for 25 points.
Records: Louisville 27-6; Duke 30-3.
A win would mean: Louisville would win its first ACC championship; Duke would win its 23rd ACC championship.
Stat to watch: 15.
That was the number of turnovers Louisville had against Duke in the December matchup. Louisville committed the same number of turnovers in its win over Clemson on Friday night.
Matchup to watch: Louisville wing Terrence Edwards Jr. (No. 5) vs. Duke wing Kon Knueppel (No. 7).
Edwards draws the assignment of the opponents' best guard or wing -- not ACC defensive player of the year Chucky Hepburn -- and that has been Knueppel in Duke's two games in Charlotte. The Duke freshman has a combined 45 points on 12-for-25 shooting, with 9 rebounds, 11 assists and 6 turnovers in two games of the ACC tournament.
Cardinal to watch: Chucky Hepburn (No. 24).
He's coming off a 6-steal game and in Louisville's previous game, he hit a buzzer-beating shot to beat Stanford.
Blue Devil to watch: Tyrese Proctor (No. 5).
The numbers didn't indicate it so much, but Proctor had a great impact on Duke's win, including a crucial bucket down the stretch. He's the only player on either roster who has played in an ACC championship game in his career.
What’s on deck: Selection Sunday, with each of these teams safely in the field, is next. The bracket will be announced with a show that starts at 6 p.m. on CBS.
KenPom prediction: Duke wins 79-69.
Injury report: Duke will be without Flagg and Maliq Brown. Louisville has been without its best 3-point shooter, Reyne Smith, for the last three games.
