After avoiding upsets against 13th-seeded UNC Wilmington and 12th-seeded Yale, No. 4 seed Duke will play the underdog role Thursday when it takes on top-seeded Oregon in the Sweet 16. The Fighting Ducks will look to make it to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2007, while the Blue Devils will look to return for the second consecutive year. Here are three keys to the game:
Take advantage of size
In the first weekend of the tournament, Duke had a critical advantage—size. The Blue Devils will have the same benefit against Oregon, who has only two players in its rotation standing taller than 6-foot-8. Duke's Brandon Ingram and Marshall Plumlee stand at 6-foot-9 and 7-foot, respectively, which could be a positive or negative for the team.
Against the smaller Seahawks in the first round, Plumlee had 23 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, camping out under the basket for easy finishes all afternoon. Likewise, Ingram's 7-foot-3 wingspan has haunted teams playing against the Blue Devils' 1-3-1 zone and the freshman's height makes it nearly impossible to contest his shot.
But the Fighting Ducks present a unique challenge for both Ingram and Plumlee with multiple players having the ability to score off the bounce or on the perimeter. Every member of Oregon's starting lineup shoots better than 30 percent from beyond the arc and the team has the ability to hurt the bigger Plumlee by running pick and rolls with its speedy guards at the top of the key.
If Duke can work the ball to Plumlee on offense and find a way to account for all of the Fighting Ducks' shooters, the Blue Devils have a good chance of coming away with a victory Thursday.
Get offensive production from someone not named Brandon Ingram or Grayson Allen
Throughout the year, many different players have stepped up for Duke in big games. Against a team like Oregon—which finished with the top scoring defense in the Pac-12—the Blue Devils will need to get production on offense from someone outside of their leading scorers.
Luke Kennard and Matt Jones need to convert the open looks they get against the Fighting Ducks, who will likely focus more on containing Ingram and Allen. Jones, especially, will need to raise his game as he was held scoreless and missed all four of his shots Saturday against Yale. Freshman Derryck Thornton could also help Duke in the scoring category with his ability to score near the basket, but the guard will need to have more success from beyond the arc—where he has hit just two of his last 16 attempts.
Stay out of foul trouble
With the Blue Devils using just a seven-man rotation, Duke must avoid foul trouble at all costs. Against the Bulldogs, Jones fouled out late in the game and Plumlee played much of the second half with four fouls. Oregon's Dillon Brooks, Elgin Cook and Chris Boucher all have the ability to get to the rim and draw fouls, making the Blue Devil margin of error for silly fouls away from the basket razor thin.
The Fighting Ducks rely on a balanced attack and have seven players averaging more than five points per game. With this in mind, Duke will need to defend without fouling—something that shouldn't be new considering the team's struggle with depth all season. If the Blue Devils can avoid giving Oregon easy points at the free-throw line, Duke has a chance to emerge victorious and head back to the Elite Eight.
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