NCAAB Game Preview - Wake Forest at Duke

Sat Feb 18, 2017 1:00 PM EST

DURHAM, N.C. -- Several weeks ago, Duke relied heavily on guard Luke Kennard for a large dose of offense.

The production has become more spread out for the No. 12 Blue Devils, but that doesn't mean Kennard won't be front and center for Saturday afternoon's game against visiting Wake Forest at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

That's because when the teams met earlier this season, Kennard hit the winning 3-point basket in Duke's 85-83 comeback victory at Wake Forest. He produced 34 points that day.

"He's accustomed to having the ball in his hands in pressure situations," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said of Kennard, a sophomore who leads the team in scoring with 19.8 points per game.

The Blue Devils have come to count on Kennard.

"That's the biggest thing, he's consistent," Duke forward Amile Jefferson said. "He's confident in his shot, he's confident in his playmaking ability, and when guys were down he stepped up."

That first outcome against Wake Forest began Duke's six-game winning streak that it carries into the rematch.

The success has moved Duke, which was the preseason favorite in the Atlantic Coast Conference and nationally, back into the hunt for the league title. The Blue Devils (21-5, 9-4 ACC) are within a game of first place with five regular-season games to play.

While Kennard has been dependable, if not spectacular, this season, he has received considerable help recently, most notably from Grayson Allen and Jayson Tatum. Tatum's big outing (28 points) on Wednesday night at Virginia lifted the Blue Devils to a 65-55 triumph.

Krzyzewski, who has been back on the bench for four games since missing most of January following back surgery, said he likes how Tatum has emerged.

"I think it starts from his defensive rebounding," Krzyzewski said. "He was playing the game at a better pace with a better intensity instead of more of a finesse."

Wake Forest (15-11, 6-8) has had sporadic results, putting the Demon Deacons in desperate need of a quality victory to bolster their postseason credentials.

They're coming off Tuesday night's 95-83 loss at Clemson after winning three of their previous four games. Eighteen turnovers were among Wake Forest's problems in the latest setback.

"(That's) far too many," Demon Deacons coach Danny Manning said. "We didn't handle the ball. Some of the turnovers were when the ball hits us in the hands and we don't secure possession."

In Wake Forest's last 10 games, the Demon Deacons have surrendered at least 80 points seven times.

"That's way too high," Manning said, noting that the team hasn't stayed in front of the ball well enough at the defensive end.

Duke's two lowest-scoring games have come in its last two outings, winning 64-62 against Clemson last Saturday.

Wake Forest forward John Collins has a streak of nine consecutive games of 20 or more points, the longest stretch for an ACC player in three years.

Duke, which leads the ACC with an average of nine 3-point baskets per game, has used nine different starting lineups this season. But in the current streak, the team has had the same first unit five times, with the exception coming against Pittsburgh when freshman guard Frank Jackson took hobbled guard Matt Jones' spot.

For Duke, Saturday's game will be the lone home outing across a four-game stretch.

Duke has won its last five matchups with Wake Forest, which has lost in its last 17 visits to Cameron Indoor Stadium.