Duke basketball Sweet 16 bracket predictions: Our pick to reach March Madness’ Final Four

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It’ll be Duke basketball, NC State, Houston and Marquette at the 2024 NCAA Tournament’s South Regional in Dallas.

The 11th-seeded Wolfpack (24-14) and second-seeded Golden Eagles (27-9) will tip off at 7:09 p.m. ET (CBS) on Friday from the American Airlines Center. After that game, around 9:39 p.m., the fourth-seeded Blue Devils (26-8) will try to knock off the top-seeded Cougars (32-4).

By the end of the weekend, one of those four teams will be cutting down the nets in the Lone Star State before heading to Phoenix for the Final Four.

The winner of the South Regional will face top-seeded Purdue (31-4), No. 2 Tennessee (26-8), No. 3 Creighton (25-9) or No. 5 Gonzaga (27-7) on Saturday, April 6, at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.

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Now that we know the participants, here are predictions for which team will emerge from Texas with a Final Four berth.

Duke Blue Devils vs Houston Cougars prediction for Sweet 16

Toughness will be the buzzword ahead of the Blue Devils’ matchup with the Cougars, who overpower opponents with their physicality. Houston’s knack for making offenses miserable is the main reason Kelvin Sampson’s crew is considered a national title favorite. Duke was bounced in the second round last season by a similar team in Tennessee, but the Devils didn’t have Mark Mitchell that afternoon. Mitchell and Kyle Filipowski will have to bring their best this week, but Duke is 1-3 against teams that are top 10 in defensive efficiency.

Houston 70, Duke 65: The Cougars are playing in their home state and have consistently been among the most well-rounded teams in the nation. The Devils displayed their potent side against James Madison, but Houston is in a different tier.

NC…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/duke-basketball-sweet-16-bracket-080211318.html

Author : The Fayetteville Observer

Publish date : 2024-03-26 08:02:11

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