"This is the time of year where teams either improve or stay the same and get left behind," Virginia coach Tony Bennett told ESPN. "In the last three games, we have improved. I like what I'm seeing."

The opposite could be said of their opponent in tonight's 7:00 pm EST game, #23 Duke (12-4), losers in two of their last three games. With two players as talented as Rodney Hood and Jabari Parker, Duke should be one of the teams poised to improve. Understanding how to keep their stars heavily involved in the offense while also promoting ball movement, however, won't be easy, especially for a program like Duke.

As good as the Blue Devils have been over the years, they've never relied on a complex offensive scheme requiring equal ball distribution. Rather, coach Mike Krysewski has excelled by recruiting players that fit his system/personality and, to an extent, imposing his will on those players. There's a reason JJ Reddick averaged nearly 27 points per game his senior year and why many Duke players have performed better in college than in the pros: Coach K doesn't mind letting his stars take most of the shots. This year, that approach isn't working, perhaps because for the first time, his two best players are a transfer student and a freshman - as talented as any duo to play at Duke, but unable so far to translate that to winning at an elite pace.

Of late, Parker has been the main problem. After beginning the year hot, he hasn't cracked 15 points or 40 percent shooting in any of last four games. Hood, meanwhile, has posted over 24 points per game in last three.

In a way, Duke shouldn't even be ranked right now. Their only big win was against now unranked Michigan and they have more losses than any top 25 team besides Kansas, who also has four.

With the same record, Virginia (12-4) accrued just six points in the most recent AP poll compared to Duke's 193. Besides an 87-52 blowout loss at Tennessee, they've been competitive in all their losses and are undefeated in conference play, winning by at least ten over three worthy opponents (Florida State, Wake Forest, and NC State), two of which had the benefit of their home floor.

This one's at Cameron Indoor Stadium, however, where Duke remains undefeated. That's why they're 5.5 favorites. Is it a safe 5.5? The lifelong partial Duke fan in me says take the Blue Devils.

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