Duke Takes On Top Seed Kansas In The Elite Eight With A Berth In The Final Four On The Line

Duke who is the second seed in the Midwest region will take on top seeded Kansas Sunday in the Elite Eight for the right to go to the final four in San Antonio. 

Although their paths have been somewhat different as to how they got to this point.

Duke who is  out of the Atlantic Coast Conference routed their first two opponents in Iona and Rhode Island before running into a familiar opponent in Syracuse who is also a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference  tested Duke but they ended  up advancing and improved their record to 29-7 on the season. "according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/150/

Grayson Allen and Gary Trent Jr., made four clutch free throws down the stretch to help Duke hold off Syracuse 69-65 and land the Blue Devils in a 1 vs. 2 regional final against Kansas."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

"A great game to win, a very difficult game to lose," Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

Freshman Marvin Bagley III scored 22 points to help Krzyzewski's second-seeded Blue Devils (29-7) pull away from Jim Boeheim's Orange -- the last at-large team to make it into the field, and one looking for a near-repeat of two seasons ago when it made the Final Four as a 10 seed. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

This year, Syracuse (23-14) was an 11, but in an NCAA Tournament turned upside down, the Elite Eight already has one of those -- Loyola-Chicago in the South. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

Syracuse is no typical 11, and this was a zone-centric battle of wits between two of the most renowned coaches in the game."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

No lead ever reached double digits, and not until Trent Jr. swished two from the line with 6.3 seconds left was the game sealed for Duke, which is one win away from taking Krzyzewski to his record 13th Final Four. He currently shares the record of 12 with John Wooden."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

Early in the second half, Krzyzewski did something Wooden never would've dreamed of: He tore off his jacket and threw it to the floor, calling a timeout after Syracuse scored two quick baskets to trim its deficit to three. "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

"It set the tone for me," said Coach K, who has two freshmen, Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr., who will likely be NBA lottery picks later this spring. "You could see. I coach `em, so I could see, they were real young. They had young looks. Thank goodness they got out of it." "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

The teams went back and forth, trading alley-oop dunks and 3-pointers until the end-game played out with 21 seconds left."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

Syracuse fouled Allen, who went to the line for a 1-and-1 and calmly sank both to push the lead to 67-62. Syracuse scored, then fouled Allen again, and he missed the front end. Leading by three, Duke intentionally fouled Tyus Battle, who made only one of his two free throws to cut the deficit to two with 7 seconds left."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

Syracuse closed by fouling Trent Jr., who sealed it by improving to 33 of 34 from the line in the last five minutes of games this season."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

"I thought coming into this game Duke was playing at a tremendously high level," Boeheim said. "We started out playing as well offensively as we have in a long time. We hit a little dead spot at the end of the first half that we couldn't quite come back from." "according tohttp://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

Bagley III scored 13 of his 22 points and had all eight of his rebounds in the second half. Seven of those boards were on the offensive end and led to second-chance baskets."according tohttp://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

"We turned the ball over a little too much in the first half," said Battle, who led the Orange with 19 points. "We got it together in the second half and took care of the ball a little better, moved the ball better and got it into the middle." "according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

BIG PICTURE

Syracuse's 2/3 zone causes problems for almost every opponent, but Duke found holes, throwing lobs behind big men in the middle for layups and dunks. Meanwhile, Allen was quick to shoot the 3 in the second half. All but one of his 15 attempts from the floor were from 3. He went 3 for 14 from behind the arc and finished with 15 points."according to http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22724&SPID=1845&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=211707427

Kansas meanwhile comes into  the elite eight with a record of 30-7 "according to http://kuathletics.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball and  has edged their last two opponents in the NCAA Tournament with their most recent win  coming against another familiar   opponent of Duke's in Clemson on Friday to advance to the elite eight.

A well-balanced scoring effort led by redshirt-sophomore Malik Newman saw the No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks outlast the No. 5 seed Clemson Tigers, 80-76, in the NCAA Championship's Sweet 16 inside CenturyLink Center Friday night. Newman led KU in scoring for the fifth time in his last six games and was one of four Jayhawks to score in double-figures. "according to http://kuathletics.com/news/2018/3/23/mens-basketball-jayhawks-withstand-clemson-rally-cruise-into-elite-eight.aspx
 
Kansas, who advanced to the Elite Eight for the third-straight year and the eighth time under head coach Bill Self, moved to 30-7 on the year. Clemson's season ended with a 25-10 record. "according to http://kuathletics.com/news/2018/3/23/mens-basketball-jayhawks-withstand-clemson-rally-cruise-into-elite-eight.aspx

KU jumped on the Tigers early and built an 11-4 advantage with four different Jayhawks contributing to the scoring effort, all over the first five minutes off action. The Jayhawk defense was active early as well, forcing five Clemson turnovers within the opening eight minutes of the game. "according to http://kuathletics.com/news/2018/3/23/mens-basketball-jayhawks-withstand-clemson-rally-cruise-into-elite-eight.aspx
 
The Tigers didn't have an answer for Udoka Azubuike in the early moments of the game as the 7-0 foot Jayhawk center scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half, which included six in the opening 10 minutes. The sophomore also pulled down six of his 11 rebounds in the opening 20 minutes as Kansas established a dominating presence in the paint. "according to http://kuathletics.com/news/2018/3/23/mens-basketball-jayhawks-withstand-clemson-rally-cruise-into-elite-eight.aspx
 
After KU opened the game hitting just five of its first 15 shots, the Jayhawk shooters found their touch. A 3-pointer from Newman at the 12:11 mark began an eight minute stretch that saw Kansas connect on nine of its next 12 tries from the field. The run was highlighted by a Graham lob to Silvio De Sousa from half court that the freshman forward flushed home to put the Jayhawks ahead 25-19 with 7:43 to play in the opening stanza. "according to http://kuathletics.com/news/2018/3/23/mens-basketball-jayhawks-withstand-clemson-rally-cruise-into-elite-eight.aspx
 
The KU defense stayed stingy and held the Tigers to just two field goals over the final eight minutes of the half, helping the Jayhawks build its first double-digit lead of the game. A pair of dunks from Azubuike and a high-flying put-back jam from Lagerald Vick helped the Jayhawks get out to a 13-point advantage, 35-22, with 2:17 left in the half. "according to http://kuathletics.com/news/2018/3/23/mens-basketball-jayhawks-withstand-clemson-rally-cruise-into-elite-eight.aspx
 
Clemson attempted to put a dent in its deficit before the break but a five-point Jayhawk possession dashed those hopes. After a flagrant foul on the Tigers, De Sousa converted on a pair of foul shots before Vick swished his second 3-pointer of the half and KU headed to the locker room with a 40-27 lead."according to http://kuathletics.com/news/2018/3/23/mens-basketball-jayhawks-withstand-clemson-rally-cruise-into-elite-eight.aspx
 
KU exploded out of the intermission and was able to extend its lead to 20 points less than two minutes into the second frame. Three-straight 3-pointers from Vick, Newman and Graham put the Tigers into an even deeper hole, as KU led 49-29. "according to http://kuathletics.com/news/2018/3/23/mens-basketball-jayhawks-withstand-clemson-rally-cruise-into-elite-eight.aspx
 
Clemson managed to whittle its deficit to 15 points several times over the next 10 minutes, but each time the Jayhawks had an answer. With KU leading 62-47 after a quick 5-0 Clemson spurt, Graham hit his second 3-pointer of the night to halt any Clemson momentum. "according to http://kuathletics.com/news/2018/3/23/mens-basketball-jayhawks-withstand-clemson-rally-cruise-into-elite-eight.aspx
 
Despite going the final 4:41 without a field goal, the Jayhawks were able to hold off a valiant comeback attempt from the Tigers. Clemson closed the game on a 19-8 run to pull within two possessions, but some clutch KU free throw shooting from KU helped stave off the late charge. Kansas hit 8-of-10 free throws over the final 2:43 to seal the win, 80-76. "according to http://kuathletics.com/news/2018/3/23/mens-basketball-jayhawks-withstand-clemson-rally-cruise-into-elite-eight.aspx
 
Newman led the Jayhawks in scoring for the fifth time in his last six games, scoring 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting. He was joined by four teammates in double figures. Graham posted a 16-point effort to go along with five rebounds and four assists, Azubuike tallied his sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds and Vick added 13 points to go along with eight rebounds."according to http://kuathletics.com/news/2018/3/23/mens-basketball-jayhawks-withstand-clemson-rally-cruise-into-elite-eight.aspx

Tip-off is set for 5:05pm from the  Century Link Center in Omaha Nebraska. The game will be televised on CBS. "according to http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game?gameId=401025882