Gonzaga vs Duke
Gonzaga vs Duke, The top-seeded Blue Devils rely heavily on three freshmen — Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow — who aren't playing like freshmen. A case can be made that Duke's most important player is Winslow, the Houston native who scored 21 points in Friday's victory against Utah. Playing the power forward position, Winslow is an extremely difficult matchup, especially when he is hitting outside jump shots. It's unlikely that Okafor can be held to single-digits in scoring for the second consecutive game.
In some ways, it's a typical Gonzaga bunch. Led by veteran guards Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr., the Zags are extremely skilled offensively. If Kyle Wiltjer, the 6-10 power forward who transferred from Kentucky, gets hot from the perimeter, Gonzaga is extremely hard to guard; many nights, they're capable of simply outscoring opponents. But this team is capable, as shown in
Friday's win against UCLA, of grinding out wins when the shooting touch isn't there. Przemek Karnowski, a 7-1, 288-pound junior from Poland, provides a tall (and very wide) defensive deterrent. He'll bother Duke's freshman star Okafor, but on both ends of the floor, his presence also has a ripple effect. The Zags can simply pound the ball inside.
The Blue Devils are 5-4 in NCAA tournament play in the state of Texas, including a 4-1 mark in Houston. Duke moved to 3-0 at NRG Stadium with Friday's victory against Utah.
In some ways, it's a typical Gonzaga bunch. Led by veteran guards Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr., the Zags are extremely skilled offensively. If Kyle Wiltjer, the 6-10 power forward who transferred from Kentucky, gets hot from the perimeter, Gonzaga is extremely hard to guard; many nights, they're capable of simply outscoring opponents. But this team is capable, as shown in
Friday's win against UCLA, of grinding out wins when the shooting touch isn't there. Przemek Karnowski, a 7-1, 288-pound junior from Poland, provides a tall (and very wide) defensive deterrent. He'll bother Duke's freshman star Okafor, but on both ends of the floor, his presence also has a ripple effect. The Zags can simply pound the ball inside.
The Blue Devils are 5-4 in NCAA tournament play in the state of Texas, including a 4-1 mark in Houston. Duke moved to 3-0 at NRG Stadium with Friday's victory against Utah.