No. 5 Duke prepares for challenge against No. 19 Florida

Duke's two prized freshmen recruits will get their first big test when the No. 5 Blue Devils meet No. 19 Florida in the second game of the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

No. 16 Purdue meets Arizona State in the first game.

Center Marques Bolden and forward Jayson Tatum, both five-star recruits, were cleared to play Friday in the Blue Devils' 94-55 win over Maine. The duo missed the first eight games of the season with injuries.

Their return will allow coach Mike Krzyzewski to expand his lineup to a deeper rotation than the six-man one he has been using. All five Duke starters are averaging at least 30 minutes per game.

Tatum, who is recovering from an October sprained ankle, had 10 points and eight rebounds in the win over Maine. Bolden, who suffered a lower-leg injury in the preseason, added seven points and five rebounds but also had three turnovers.

"I really wasn't focused on scoring," Tatum said. "I was just happy to be out there, getting to rebound, play defense and win. Just being out there with the guys is all I was worried about."

Luke Kennard leads the Blue Devils (8-1) with 19.4 points per game, followed by Grayson Allen (17.1), Frank Jackson (15.4) and Amile Jefferson (14.7). Jefferson is also the leading rebounder with 9.8 per game.

Jackson and Allen sat out Saturday's win with foot issues. They are both expected back against Florida.

The teams have split two NCAA Tournament meetings with Duke, winning in the 1994 Final Four and Florida (7-1) winning in the 2000 Sweet 16, which was the last time the Gators and Blue Devils squared off.

Florida is looking to end a five-game skid against non-conference top-five opponents. The Gators' last such win came against No. 2 Michigan State on Nov. 27, 2009, in Atlantic City.

Florida comes in off a 91-60 road win at North Florida in which the Gators shot 58.5 percent from the field, the team's best field goal percentage under coach Mike White. Its only loss is 77-72 to No. 9 Gonzaga.

The Gators feature balanced scoring with three players averaging between 12.8 and 11.8 points. Sophomore guard KeVaughn Allen leads the group, followed by Canyon Berry, who is accumulating 12.1 points off the bench. Junior forward Devin Robinson is shooting 54 percent from the field and averaging 11.8 points.

John Egbunu averages 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks for the Gators.

Florida redshirt freshman Keith Stone has put together strong back-to-back games. He's averaging 11.5 ppg and 4.5 rpg in wins over Miami and North Florida.

"We knew at some point he was going to kind of settle in and provide some production and earn more minutes," White said. "We saw glimpses of what he can potentially be for this team -- a very good player."