Duke basketball vs. Miami: Scouting report, score prediction after UNC win

Duke basketball will have little time to celebrate its rivalry win against North Carolina.

Coming off the 63-57 victory over the Tar Heels on Saturday night, the Blue Devils (17-6, 8-4 ACC) will travel to face No. 23 Miami (18-5, 9-4 ACC) on Monday at 7 p.m. (ACCN) looking for their fourth straight win.

Duke previously defeated the Hurricanes 68-66 on Jan. 21 at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils are 12-0 at home this year but 2-4 on the road.

Here’s what you need to know about Monday’s game:

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Could Dariq Whitehead return?

Duke freshman Dariq Whitehead has missed the last three games with a lower left leg sprain that he injured against Virginia Tech. The Blue Devils are 3-0 in those games but would benefit greatly from the return on the No. 2 prospect from the Class of 2022.

Coach Jon Scheyer said Saturday that Whitehead is “close to full health” and that the next step is getting him “game ready.”

“He can add such a different dimension to our team,” Scheyer said. “I don’t know about Monday, yet. I’ll have to talk to him and see how he felt today.”

The freshman is averaging 8.4 points and 2.3 rebounds this season. In ACC play, his 10.0 points are second on the team, while shooting .412 from the field.

More than Lively

Freshman Dereck Lively II is coming off a career game for the Blue Devils, blocking eight shots, grabbing 14 rebounds and scoring four crucial points in the win over UNC.

The blocked shots and rebounds were both career highs for Lively, who continues to trend upward at the right time. He could be in for another big night against Miami. The big man had 10 rebounds, five blocks and six points the last time he faced the Hurricanes.

Sharp shooters

Miami is one of the best shooting teams in the ACC this season, leading the league in 2-point field goal percentage at 48% per game.

The Hurricanes also rank sixth in the ACC from beyond the arc, hitting 36% from 3.

It may sound simple, but when they’re hitting their shots, they’re winning games. In its last three wins, Miami scored 86, 92 and 78 points against Florida State, Virginia Tech and Clemson. In two losses to Duke and Pitt, the Hurricanes were held under 70 points.

Miami’s Nijel Pack scored 20 points and Isaiah Wong added 15 during its 78-74 win over Clemson on Saturday.

Duke basketball vs. Miami score prediction

Duke 72, Miami 65: The Blue Devils will be riding high from their win over UNC but it will be their defense that secures a fourth straight victory and a season sweep over the Hurricanes. Duke has held opponents to an average of 57.6 points in the last three games, and Dereck Lively is just rounding into form as a rim protector.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball vs. Miami: Scouting report, score prediction after UNC win