Report: Mekhi Long ruled out against Duke with knee injury

Virginia Tech forward Mekhi Long is out for Monday’s game against Duke, per head coach Mike Young.

Long injured his knee during an 84-78 win over NC State on Jan. 20th, and has not seen the court since. It will be his third straight game on the sidelines.

Long, a fifth-year transfer from Old Dominion averages 3.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists on the season across 18 games for the Hokies, where he has made five starts.

Before transferring into the Virginia Tech program, Long spent three seasons at ODU where he logged 60 starts in 62 total games during his final two seasons. During the 2022 season, Long put up career numbers with 10.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

Old Dominion was his second stop, as he began his career during the 2019 season at Rhode Island. He played in all 30 games with the Rams that season.

Entering Saturday’s clash, the Hokies are 13-7 on the season, coming off a huge road win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. On the other hand, the Blue Devils captured a big win over the Clemson Tigers controversially over the weekend and entered Monday with a 15-4 record.

Duke sits second behind North Carolina (9-0) in ACC play, while the Hokies are 1.5 games behind the Blue Devils in the current standings. A win for the Hokies would throw a wrench in the ACC rankings, as 1.5 games separates Duke in second place and seven other teams, including Virginia Tech.

Tip-off between the Hokies and Blue Devils is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET live on ESPN. Duke is a 3.5-point betting favorite on the road, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. ESPN analytics gives Virginia Tech a 40.4 percent chance of defeating Duke, while KenPom predicts a final score of 75-73 in favor of the Blue Devils.

After Monday’s homestand, Virginia Tech will be on the road for the next two weeks before returning to Cassell Coliseum on Feb. 10 against Florida State.

How to watch Virginia Tech vs. Duke

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN, FuboTV (streaming)
Location: Cassell Coliseum | Blacksburg, VA

Virginia Tech and Duke are set to tip off at 7:00 p.m. EST. It will be played at the Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, VA, with a raucous crowd expected to be at the showdown.

TRY FUBO FOR FREE: For a limited time, new subscribers can save $20 on Fubo’s Pro, Elite, and Premier plans