Is Jeremy Roach playing today vs Houston? Looking at Duke guard's availability ahead of March Madness

Duke Blue Devils guard Jeremy Roach is expected to play on Friday against the Houston Cougars in the Sweet 16.

Roach dislocated his pinky finger in the Blue Devils' blowout win over James Madison. Despite the guard dislocating his finger, Roach says that he will be able to play on Friday night as Duke looks to advance to the Elite Eight.

"It's still pretty sore right now," Roach said to TMZ, "but, it's not gonna affect me for Friday."

Roach's availablity for Duke is massive news, as the guard is a key offensive player for the team. In the win over James Madison, he recorded 15 points and seven assists in 34 minutes before sustaining the injury.

In the March Madness opener against Vermont, he recorded 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in 39 minutes.

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Jeremy Roach eager to play Houston

The Duke Blue Devils enter their Sweet 16 game against the Houston Cougars as a four-point underdog.

It's one of the most anticipated games of the Sweet 16 games, and Roach is expecting it to be a very competitive game:

"It's gonna be a big-time fight. Houston's the No. 1 team in the country for a reason, so we definitely pay them their respect," Roach told InsideHook. "But don't pay them too much respect and just lay down. We're gonna want to throw the first punch and be the aggressors.

"When we went to the Sweet 16 my sophomore year, we were underdogs, too. People had Texas Tech beating us. It really doesn't matter. You just have to go out there and really play and compete. Don't worry about any of the outside noise. 'Duke's not gonna win. Duke can't do this. You can't do this.' Control what you can control. The rest will take care of itself."

If the Blue Devils upset the Cougars on Friday, they will play the winner of NC State vs Marquette in the Elite Eight.

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Jeremy Roach's stats this season

Jeremy Roach is in his senior season and has played all four years with the Duke Blue Devils.

Roach has started 31 of 33 games this season, averaging 14 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.5 rebounds for the Blue Devils.

The guard has been a key offensive player for Duke this season, so getting him back for the Sweet 16 game is massive for the Blue Devils.