After there were no matchups of ranked teams in the the first four days of the 2023-24 college basketball season, we finally get a battle of traditional powers when No. 2 Duke plays host to No. 12 Arizona on Friday.
The biggest storyline heading into this showdown is Arizona guard Caleb Love making his return to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face the Blue Devils. Love scored 28 points in UNC's 2022 Final Four win over Duke that ended the legendary career of former coach Mike Krzyzewski.
After the 2022-23 season concluded, Love entered the transfer portal and originally committed to Michigan, but did not have the adequate amount of transferable credits to easily clear the admissions bar at the school. Love scored 12 points in his first action with the Wildcats in a 122-59 blowout victory over Morgan State on Monday. Seven Arizona players scored in double figures and guard Kylan Boswell scored a team-high 18 points in only 22 minutes of action.
The Blue Devils opened the season with a 92-54 win over Dartmouth without veteran forward Mark Mitchell in the lineup. CBS Sports ACC Preseason Player of the Year Kyle Filipowski scored a game-high 25 points and added seven rebounds in the opening- night victory. Duke's nonconference schedule features four games against Top 25 opponents and the gauntlet begins with the team that's favored to win the Pac-12.
How to watch Duke vs. Arizona live
Date: Friday, Nov. 10 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium -- Durham, North Carolina
TV: ESPN2 | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Duke vs. Arizona prediction, picks
Love is an X-factor if Arizona wants to pull off a road upset over the Blue Devils. He's truly a microwave-type player that can rattle off 20 points on any given half. Love is a double-edged sword because he's also a candidate on any given night to shoot poorly from the floor and turn the ball over at a high rate. The Blue Devils went 16-0 at home last season under coach Jon Scheyer and have a key blend of veteran experience and youth on the roster. Duke makes a statement in the first big matchup of the season by covering the spread with ease. Prediction: Duke -5
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