College Basketball: Will Hard Road Help Duke?

Coach K’s Blue Devils may have the toughest road to the Final Four of all three remaining #1 seeds. Al Dannity says the difficult path could get Duke’s players in the right frame of mind should they make it to Houston.

Wolverine Awakening
After coasting past Hampton in their first game, Duke got a shock on Sunday as Michigan pushed them all the way. The Wolverines’ comfortable win over Tennessee would have caught Coach K’s attention but this was still a 21-13 opponent, not an elite level threat. Michigan played hard for the full 40 minutes before finally succumbing 73-71, a result that generated plenty of chatter. Had Duke lost this game and ended their season, as happened to Pitt, the close contest would have been of no benefit. Instead the battle-tested Blue Devils are well-prepared for the brutal weekend ahead.

Get it done in Anaheim
Duke’s first test in the Sweet Sixteen will be #5 seed Arizona. The Wildcats were +6.0 underdogs against Texas but fought their way to a 70-69 victory. Having overcome one opponent with a strong presence on the boards, the Pac-10 regular season champions won’t fear the Blue Devils’ inside game. Mike Krzyzewksi’s team will need another big performance to make it to the Elite Eight.

The other side of the West pits #2 seed San Diego State against #3 seed Connecticut. UConn showed no sign of letting up on the momentum that drove the Huskies to the Big East tournament title. The Aztecs meanwhile match up well physically against the Blue Devils and would be a bruising opponent should Duke progress. Whatever path Duke take to Houston, they will need to fight their way to the Final Four.

Emotional edge or mental meltdown?
College Basketball betting fans may have difficulty gauging what impact this murderers’ row of opponents will have on Duke psychologically. On the one hand this big game experience could strengthen the resolve of Nolan Smith and co. Young players however can only handle so many big games. Managing the stress that comes with such pressure won’t be easy.

The strong presence of veterans such as Smith and Kyle Singler should make a big difference in this regard. This duo has been in tough situations before and they can get their team-mates focussed on the task at hand. Winning the NCAA Tournament is difficult; going back to March Madness and retaining the title is nigh on impossible. Having the mental edge to raise their game could be the difference between the Blue Devils flaming out or making history this year.