Following a nerve-wracking first weekend of the NCAA tournament, the Blue Devils will take on Virginia Tech in the Sweet 16 Friday night. The Blue Zone looks at a key player for each team as they head to Washington D.C.:
Duke: Guard Jordan Goldwire
After squeezing out a nail-biting victory against Central Florida, Duke will have to go through a Virginia Tech Hokies team that already bested the Blue Devils once during ACC play. Duke dropped its first matchup by a score of 77-72, a game in which the Blue Devils forced only one steal and six Hokie turnovers. Unlike the first contest, round two will include the talents of Duke’s Zion Williamson and Virginia Tech’s Justin Robinson. There is, however, another difference maker who is ready to dance this time around for the Blue Devils.
If Krzyzewski’s squad wants a spot in the Elite Eight, it will need to cause more havoc on the defensive end of the floor, and the late-season emergence of Jordan Goldwire could be crucial. Goldwire, who played only one minute in the first matchup with the Hokies, has already logged 36 minutes in this NCAA Tournament. The sophomore guard has made most of his impact on the defensive end of the floor, a place where the Blue Devils will need as much help as possible against a Virginia Tech team that ranks eighth in the nation in 3-point percentage.
For Duke to prevail in D.C., the team will need to play exceptional perimeter defense, calling on Goldwire as well as Tre Jones to lock down Hokie guards Justin Robinson, Ty Outlaw and Isaiah Wilkins, who each sit at over 40 percent from deep. While the addition of Williamson will surely help the Blue Devils cause disruption, another gutsy performance from the sophomore guard from Norcross, Ga. could be just what the Blue Devils need to reach their second consecutive Elite Eight.
Virginia Tech: Guard Justin Robinson
While they don’t have a 7-foot-6 center like Duke’s last challenger, the Hokies do have one of the most talented guards in the ACC in senior Justin Robinson, who will be playing in just his third game back after nursing a two-month long foot injury. If Robinson can return to his early-season form, the Hokies have a real shot at knocking off the top-seeded Blue Devils.
The senior began the year scoring in double-figures in 11 out of the first 12 games, including a 23-point performance in a key resume-building win over Purdue. The senior is a an absolute headache to defend, shooting 41.1 percent from beyond the arc and 47.2 percent from the field while also averaging five assists per game. Just a week after a 35-point outburst against Syracuse, in which Robinson sunk nine three-pointers, the Hokies’ guard went down with a foot injury and hasn’t quite looked the same since.
Robinson has taken only 16 total shots in his two games back, posting 22 total points in wins over St. Louis and Liberty. If the Hokies are to keep up with the Blue Devils’ plethora of offensive weapons they will need a healthy, pre-injury performance out of their star veteran. With plenty of sharp-shooters around him, a big game from Robinson could be enough to keep the Hokies’ season alive.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.