Back only two years ago at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Notre Dame snatched a dramatic victory over Duke, leaving the Blue Devils stunned. Before the two teams face off once more, Duke arrives as a powerhouse with their freshman Cooper Flagg. This time the story looks different, but the tension is still there.

The No.4 Duke Blue Devils host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on January 11, 2025. In an ACC battle that promises drama. Duke is at the top in the conference with a 5-0 record and the team is poised to continue to dominate. Notre Dame is going to have a difficult time as they are searching for their first ACC road victory of the year.

Starting Five: Full strength on display

However, there is good news for both teams. As they will go into the game with no players on the injury list. This makes it even as the stage is set for a rather interesting battle. Tip-off is set for 11 Jan, 12:00 PM ET at the iconic Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.

The best lineups of both teams will be on the hardwood. Here’s a look at the projected starting lineups. Duke Blue Devils: Cooper Flagg (17.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.7 APG), Kon Knueppel (12.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.7 APG), Tyrese Proctor (11.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.3 APG), Khaman Maluach (8.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG), Sion James (8.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.8 APG).

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Markus Burton (18.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.0 APG), Tae Davis (16.5 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 APG), Braeden Shrewsberry (15.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.7 APG), Matt Allocco (10.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.3 APG), Kebba Njie (6.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG)

It can hardly be challenged that Duke is statistically superior. The Blue Devils have scored 80.0 per game while conceding 58.4 per game. Grabbing 40 rebounds and near-17 assists per game they fare rather well in comparison to Notre Dame’s 36.1 and 12.8, respectively. Dominating defensively, the Jon Scheyer-led team has maintained a 9-game winning streak with an impressive 18-0 showing in their most recent. At the center of their success? Copper Flagg.

The freshman is leading the team offensively in points, assists, and field goal percentage. He has put up 6 double-doubles so far and coach Jon Scheyer credits him for bringing out the best in his teammates. If that wasn’t enough, Flagg swept the ACC honors for the second time this week– Player and Rookie of the Week. He will be one to watch as Blue Devils and the Fighting Irish take on each other for the 40th time.

Blue Devils to rely on defense, Notre Dame has a task at hand

Duke has come out to be the top defensive unit in the nation with an adjusted efficiency of 86.0. Blue Devil Kon Knueppel made their awareness of the same clear as he stated, “we definitely think of ourselves as a defensive team, and we take great pride on that end of the floor,” after their game against the Pittsburgh Panthers. With a 7-8 overall record, on the other hand, the Fighting Irish lack in the ability, ranking 143rd in the country.

But they have outsmarted the Blue Devils previously, big man Kebba Njie, limiting former Duke star Kyle Filipowski to 4-of-21 in two of their previous outings. Nije is leading the Fighting Irish in rebounds again this year, proving to be a player to have an eye on. Burton is leading on the offensive end, with head coach Micah Shrewsberry strategizing around him, but they will find an opposing match in Flagg and Proctor.

The latter is second in the ACC in three-point shooting percentage and has made three or more triples in seven games this season. Shrewsberry is cautious of the beast of an opponent they are up against and is relying on discipline. “We have to be better in our details and our discipline, and I think that will help us,” he says. With the prediction wheel 97 percent in favor of the Blue Devils, it remains to see if the tides shift.