The Duke Blue Devils enter the NCAA Tournament as arguably the hottest team in the country with 11 straight wins. At 32-2 with the top overall seed, freshman Cameron Boozer and the Blue Devils look primed for a deep tournament run.
Their competition looks fierce however, in a stacked East Region bracket alongside other elite teams like Michigan State, UConn, Kansas and St. John’s.
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Boozer has consistently been one of the favorites to take home National Player of the Year, and he will lead Duke into their first round game against Sienna.
Duke is heavily favored to win that matchup against the Saints, who are making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2010.
If the Blue Devils move on to the second round, they’ll face off against the winner of the highly anticipated matchup between Ohio State and TCU.
With elite defense and a potent offense, the Blue Devils are still favored to win that game regardless of their opponent.
The Sweet 16 is where things could get choppy for Duke. If they advance that far, the Blue Devils may have to face Rick Pitino’s St. John’s Red Storm or the Darryn Peterson-led Kansas Jayhawks.
Assuming both of those teams advance past the first round, they would face each other in the second round for a spot in the Sweet 16, which would pit them against the Blue Devils.
Despite a much closer prediction, Duke would still be the favorite against either team. If Boozer and the Blue Devils can secure a victory in that game, they would be set for an appearance in the Elite Eight.
There, Duke could be matched up against a number of elite teams. Squads like Michigan State, UConn and Louisville are in this section of the bracket and any one of them may find themselves facing the Blue Devils.
Any one of these matchups could spell bad news for the Blue Devils. But if they dominate the way they did throughout the regular season, they could easily find themselves in the Final Four.
Regardless, it’s time to submit your entries for the Ball Exclusives Bracket Challenge!
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
