Duke tries to erase sting of recent NCAA Tournament exits
Since defeating Butler for the national title in 2010, the Duke Blue Devils have had some rather forgettable NCAA Tournament exits. First there was a beat down at the hands of fifth-seeded Arizona as a No. 1 seed in the Sweet Sixteen in 2011. Then an embarrassing loss as a No. 2 seed to No. 15 Lehigh in 2012. 2013 saw a trip to the Elite Eight, but they were destroyed by Louisville by 22 points .
Last year featured yet another talented Duke squad with Jabari Parker, but Parker and the Blue Devils sputtered in their opening game of the tournament, falling to 14th-seeded Mercer. So if you’re counting, that’s two double-digit point losses and two opening-round losses to double-digit seeds in the last four years. Not good.
Duke is back with yet another stacked roster, led by potential No. 1 overall pick Jahlil Okafor and likely top 10 pick Justise Winslow. The Blue Devils stumbled in the ACC Tournament by losing to Notre Dame, but Duke still earned a No. 1 seed in the South Region by going 29-4 overall and 15-3 in the ACC.
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Okafor has been a monster all season, becoming the first freshman ever to win ACC Player of the Year. The big man is averaging 17.7 points and 9.0 rebounds on the season while shooting 66.9 percent from the field. Not only can he beat you in the post with his brute strength, but he already has some of the best footwork you’ll see in a big man, which is impressive at such a young age.
Okafor isn’t perfect, as his free throw shooting is abysmal and he struggles on the defensive end at times. But he truly is a dominant force down low, and Duke will make sure to get him as many touches as possible in the tournament.
Winslow is an athletic stud on the wing who can do a lot of things well. His numbers aren’t eye-popping, with averages 12.3 points, 5.9 boards and 2.0 assists in his freshman campaign. He’s shooting 48.2 percent overall and a stellar 39.6 percent from long range.
Then there’s Quinn Cook and Tyus Jones. Cook is having a strong senior season, and he’s the Blue Devils’ second-leading scorer at 15.7 points per game. He’s a three-point gunner, nailing 39.9 percent of his treys on 6.9 long-range attempts per game. Jones, another stud freshman, is averaging 11.6 points and 5.8 assists while shooting 38.3 percent from three.
Duke clearly has a ton of talent and a great coach in Coach K, and they should be primed for a deep run. They have the second-best odds to win the tournament behind only Kentucky, and it would be a surprise if they were upset early on, although never count it out. We’ve already seen two No. 3 seeds in Iowa State and Baylor ousted, and we know anything can happen in March. Duke fans would know.
Duke’s first-round game against Robert Morris should be a formality, and then a matchup against either San Diego State or St. John’s awaits. Assuming the Blue Devils get to the Sweet Sixteen, the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds are Georgetown and Utah, respectively, but it certainly wouldn’t be a shock if it wasn’t one of those teams facing the Blue Devils.
Looking even further, third-seeded Iowa State, as mentioned, is already out, leaving No. 2 Gonzaga as the biggest challenger. The Bulldogs are 32-2 on the year, and that would be quite the matchup.
At any rate, this Duke team is built for a deep tournament run. Can Coach K get off the schneid after some rough exits the past few years?
