Duke Blue Devils: Tips to Reach Final Four
Today the Duke Blue Devils take the court against Robert Morris, looking to begin a long run in the NCAA Tournament. Their last Tournament experience was being upset by Mercer last year, but much of this Duke team was not around for that disaster.
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Specifically Duke did not have super freshmen Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow, and especially Jahlil Okafor. That trio has Duke’s bread and butter all year with supplemental three point shooting by senior Quinn Cook.
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Duke got a one seed when Virginia fell to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament. That secured them a date in Charlotte for the first two rounds. They also can benefit from the weakest region outside of Kentucky’s. Duke will also not meet Kentucky until the very final of the Tournament.
All of this seems to preface another Duke Final Four run. If Duke does make it to the Final Four, here is how it looked.
1. Okafor’s support showed up every night
Previous Duke teams showed a proclivity to live by the three point shot. However those teams also died by the same shot in the Tournament. Okafor provides a scoring base outside of that shooting, but the Notre Dame game in the ACC Tournament shows that the big man cannot do it alone.
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2. Duke avoided big teams
This is almost a certainty since the stingiest defensive team, Iowa State, was knocked out by a plucky UAB squad. You look at the East region and big frontcourts are scarce. Gonzaga, the two seed, relies on a stretch four, Kyle Wiltjer and they may represent the biggest team left. Teams like Davidson rely on their shooting prowess and have no block to throw at Okafor down low.
3. Duke’s defense showed up every game
With the region looking pretty much to be had, Duke’s defense needs to make sure it stays that way. There are opportunities for complacency all the region, since Duke will be the favorite in every game it plays.