After squeaking out a win against Syracuse Friday, Duke will face No. 1 seed Kansas Sunday for a chance to make the Final Four. The Blue Zone gives three keys for a Blue Devil victory:
Attack the interior
Kansas boasts a strong weapon down low in sophomore center Udoka Azubuike. Azubuike used his 7-foot, 280-pound frame to bully Clemson Saturday, accumulating 14 points and 11 rebounds in a Jayhawks win.
But Azubuike is the only Jayhawk taller than 6-foot-9, so at times, Duke's freshmen big men Wendell Carter Jr. and Marvin Bagley III will have mismatches. Azubuike has also been prone to foul trouble, averaging 4.5 fouls in his last two tournament games. If Duke can get the sophomore center in foul trouble, Bagley and Carter should have space to go to work down low.
Contain the deep ball
Kansas ranks fourth amongst power-five teams in three-point percentage, shooting 40.5 percent from downtown as a team. The Jayhawks' usual lineup boasts four guards who can stretch the floor with their shooting ability.
Six-foot-8, 205-pound senior guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has been particularly lethal, knocking down more than 45 percent of his looks from deep. One of the biggest question marks Sunday will be if Bagley or Carter can get out to cover him on the perimeter without leaving Azubuike open down low. The Jayhawks also have two more players shooting better than 40 percent from downtown in Devonte` Graham and Malik Newman, so Duke will likely be punished by zone lapses.
Allen needs to continue to lead
Playing alongside four freshmen, Allen’s leadership has been invaluable to this year’s Blue Devil team.
Duke’s youth has shown at times throughout the season in the form of defensive lapses and an inability to close out games, but Allen has seemingly righted the ship since taking over as the primary ball-handler in mid-January. Despite not shooting well against Syracuse, Allen rallied his team defensively after allowing the Orange to cut a seven-point halftime lead to just one out of the break.
The Jacksonville, Fla., native also ran the offense efficienctly, racking up eight assists and 15 points. Duke will need Allen to continue to lead if they want to return to the Final Four for the first time since 2015.
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Digital Strategy Director for Vol. 115, Michael was previously Sports Editor for Vol. 114 and Assistant Blue Zone Editor for Vol. 113. Michael is a senior majoring in Statistical Science and is interested in data analytics and using data to make insights.