NCAAB · 1 year ago

March Madness: 5 Things We Learned About the Duke Blue Devils

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

5. A Familiar Foe Awaits
Duke being in the Elite Eight is not a shock. Duke facing ACC foe North Carolina State is something very few, if any, will have predicted. The fourth-seeded Duke Blue Devils will square off with 11^th-seed North Carolina State in Dallas on Sunday with a trip to the Final Four on the line. The two teams met early in the season with the Wolfpack winning in Durham by a score of 74-69 and Duke winning in Raleigh 79-64. Given the run that North Carolina State is currently on and the way they have played in the last eight games, it would be fair to say that the previous results hardly matter. Since trailing at halftime to a dreadful Louisville team in the first round of the ACC Tournament, the Wolfpack are a completely transformed squad. What adjustments these teams make from their previous matchups will go a long way towards determining who earns the right to move on to Phoenix.

Duke (-6.5) vs. NC State

SportsGrid's March Madness
1. Duke's Backcourt Did Enough
Teams playing the Houston Cougars are not going to put up huge numbers so the performances of Duke’s guards on Friday night are not going to look exemplary. The job done by each of them was good enough. They matched Houston’s physicality and were ready for the intensity of the game. Tyrese Proctor had nine points with four assists and three steals. Jared McCain had only seven points but he was terrific on the glass with six rebounds and four assists. Jeremy Roach struggled from the field, shooting only 5-14 but his 14 points in 38 minutes were often scored in critical moments. Houston’s starting guards combined for only 24 points and five rebounds.
2. Kyle Filipowski Brought the Fight
After Jamal Shead’s injury 13 minutes into the game, the best player on the floor needed to be Duke’s Kyle Filipowski and the man known as “Flip” absolutely delivered. In 34 minutes of action, Filipowski was 6-14 from the field and he nailed a game-high three three-pointers. He added nine rebounds with a pair of assists to cap off his performance and he played good defense on the Houston interior of Roberts and Francis. Kyle Filipowski returned to Duke for his sophomore season in order to go on a deep run in the NCAA Tournament and he made sure it continued on Friday night in Dallas.
3. Duke's Defense Turned Up
The Duke Blue Devil players and coaches talked a lot this week about how disappointed they were in their loss in the 2023 NCAA Tournament to Tennessee. They felt they were not ready for the Volunteer physicality and failed to match their intensity. Duke was determined not to let that happen again and Houston provided a stern test to prove they had grown. The Blue Devils answered the bell and after a quick flurry at the beginning of the game that required Jon Scheyer to call a timeout, Duke settled into the game and matched Houston blow for blow. The Cougars were held to just 51 points and only hit two three-pointers, Duke won the battle on the boards and outrebounded Houston 34-30 and they held Houston to 40.8% from the field.

Duke National Title Odds: +850
4. Shead's Absence Killed the Cougars
The Houston Cougars led 16-10 when All-American guard and leader Jamal Shead drove to the basket with 6:50 remaining in the first half. Shead missed the layup and hit the floor, holding his ankle. The replay showed a severely sprained ankle and he was helped to the locker room. While he did return to the bench in the second half, he was unable to get back on the court and his absence changed the game. In the final seven minutes of the first half, Houston scored only six points. Duke outscored Houston by nine without Shead on the floor and went from down six to the three-point victory. No one will ever know how the game would have played out with Jamal Shead on the floor but his absence absolutely changed the course of the contest.
5. A Familiar Foe Awaits
Duke being in the Elite Eight is not a shock. Duke facing ACC foe North Carolina State is something very few, if any, will have predicted. The fourth-seeded Duke Blue Devils will square off with 11^th-seed North Carolina State in Dallas on Sunday with a trip to the Final Four on the line. The two teams met early in the season with the Wolfpack winning in Durham by a score of 74-69 and Duke winning in Raleigh 79-64. Given the run that North Carolina State is currently on and the way they have played in the last eight games, it would be fair to say that the previous results hardly matter. Since trailing at halftime to a dreadful Louisville team in the first round of the ACC Tournament, the Wolfpack are a completely transformed squad. What adjustments these teams make from their previous matchups will go a long way towards determining who earns the right to move on to Phoenix.

Duke (-6.5) vs. NC State

SportsGrid's March Madness
1. Duke's Backcourt Did Enough
Teams playing the Houston Cougars are not going to put up huge numbers so the performances of Duke’s guards on Friday night are not going to look exemplary. The job done by each of them was good enough. They matched Houston’s physicality and were ready for the intensity of the game. Tyrese Proctor had nine points with four assists and three steals. Jared McCain had only seven points but he was terrific on the glass with six rebounds and four assists. Jeremy Roach struggled from the field, shooting only 5-14 but his 14 points in 38 minutes were often scored in critical moments. Houston’s starting guards combined for only 24 points and five rebounds.