Pitt will try to prove its point against a Duke team that could be missing starting guard

For all of the similarities between the backgrounds of Mike Krzyzewski disciples Jeff Capel and Jon Scheyer, their Pitt and Duke programs were separated by their differences in their respective outcomes Saturday.

While Pitt is coming off a one-point home loss to Clemson that likely prevented the Panthers (11-5, 4-1 ACC) from cracking the national rankings, No. 24 Duke (12-4, 3-2) scored a one-point road victory at Boston College to remain ranked.

When Pitt visits Duke at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., a pair of absences could prove pivotal because of how they could allow each team to attack the other’s weakness.

Capel indicated Pitt is expected to be without 6-foot-9 junior power forward John Hugley, who has missed the past five games for undisclosed personal reasons. Scheyer said Monday that 6-2 junior point guard Jeremy Roach is “really unlikely” to be ready to play after missing the Boston College game with a toe injury.

Roach, a team captain and returning starter from Duke’s Final Four team, is averaging 11.9 points and 3.2 assists this season. He injured the big toe on his right foot against Purdue on Nov. 27 but continued to play the next six games until going 0 for 8 from the field in an 84-60 loss at N.C. State last week.

“He’s played in big games and big moments. He’s a really good player,” Capel said. “But they have other really good players, talented players. They were able to go on the road and win at Boston College, which is hard. It’s hard to win on the road in this league. Other guys stepped up.”

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Duke got 18 points from 6-7 freshman Dariq Whitehead at Boston College, as well as 15 points and nine rebounds from 7-foot freshman power forward Kyle Filipowski, who made two free throws with 12.4 seconds left. The Blue Devils, however, blew a 14-point second-half lead by making only one of their final 13 shots — missing 10 consecutive — and committing 11 of their 15 turnovers in the second half.

Duke turned to Tyrese Proctor, a 6-5 freshman from Australia who switched from shooting guard to play the point, and started a lineup with four forwards against Boston College.

“I thought he stepped up and really ran our team,” Scheyer said. “It was a new position for him, new in a sense. He’s started a bunch of games and all that, but you remove Jeremy, who’s been through it, and I thought we needed somebody who’s in control. I thought Jeremy did a good job of that. I know he’ll build and grow from that experience.”

With strong play from senior guards Nelly Cummings and Jamarius Burton, Capel is more concerned with how Pitt fares in the paint and on the boards against a Duke frontcourt featuring Filipowski (13.8 points, 8.6 rebounds), 6-8 freshman Mark Mitchell (9.8 points) and 6-10 Northwestern graduate transfer Ryan Young (8.3 points, 6.9 rebounds).

Without Hugley, who averaged 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds last season, the Panthers have turned to 6-11 sophomore Federiko Federiko and 7-foot freshman Guillermo Diaz Graham. Pitt lost the rebounding battle (36-35) and was outscored 34-14 in the paint against Clemson, which Capel said plays more physical than the Blue Devils.

“We have to be more physical than we were last game,” Capel said. “We have to gang-rebound, block out and we have to fight for position in the paint. We have to play post defense before they get it and do a better job of keeping guards out of the paint.”

The key for Pitt could be in the mismatches, especially with Burton using his size and strength to his advantage in scoring 31 points against North Carolina and 28 against Clemson. As familiar as Capel and Scheyer are with each other, both also know what to exploit.

“I don’t know about similarities or differences with playing style, but I know he’ll have them ready,” Scheyer said. “They’re as hot as any team in our league, so we know how good and what a challenge they’ll be Wednesday night.”