3 Duke Blue Devils on Thin Ice Before Battle vs. North Carolina
By Joe Summers
3. Mark Mitchell
Mitchell is a quality, high-energy forward still growing into his own, but Duke was dominated down low in the loss to North Carolina. Armando Bacot had 25 points and Harrison Ingram had 22, as the Tar Heels routinely worked inside to generate points.
Filipowski is on this list largely for a similar reason. Scoring 84 points is typically enough to win a college basketball game, though the Blue Devils lost handily due to their poor defensive effort. Filipowski is the big man, but Mitchell plays a valuable role defensively as well.
Mark Mitchell 17 PTS, 7 REB, 3 STL Highlights😈 | Duke vs Louisville
— DukeLights 𝕏 (@duke_lights) February 29, 2024
Watch YT highlights here⤵️https://t.co/25tRLSUZom pic.twitter.com/DE0bjoP9aq
The 6'9" forward out of Kansas City is a capable defender, notching five blocks and four steals in his last five games. That's the version of Mitchell that Duke needs to compete to win a share of the ACC Championship.
He's adept at avoiding foul trouble, with just five games with three or more fouls all year long, which is incredibly valuable given the other Duke big men's struggles in that area.
All three players listed here are crucial to a victory, though a better defensive effort from Mitchell might be the most important "X-factor" in a Blue Devils win.
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