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Tech vs Duke Preview
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By Michael Waterloo 3h ago
2
Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s last dance keeps going, as Duke defeated the Michigan State Spartans 85-76 on Sunday. Despite many questioning how good Duke truly was and if they were deserving of a No. 2 seed, the Blue Devils have handled business thus far, heading to the 26th Sweet 16 under Coach K in his 42 seasons.
Hate them or love them – that’s an incredible number.
Freshman star Paolo Banchero led all scorers with 19 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in 38 minutes. Duke also had to overcome the loss of fellow freshman A.J. Griffin due to an ankle injury in the second half of the game.
Duke took a 75-74 lead with 2:03 left in the game and still ended up covering the 6.5-point spread and the teams combined to hit the Over on the 146.5 total.
Duke’s dancing partner in the Sweet 16 will be Texas Tech, who defeated Notre Dame 59-53 on Sunday.
The Red Raiders’ top-ranked defense was the difference in the game, and it was a performance that would have made alum Andre Emmett proud.
Offensively, Kevin McCullar and Bryston Williams led the Texas Tech attack with 14 points each. Taking on a Notre Dame team that was shooting 38.3 percent from the three-point line, the Red Raiders knew they were in for a challenge.
They were up for it.
Notre Dame was shot just 9-of-28 from behind the arc and 32.7 percent from the field. It wasn’t pretty, but the end result was. Tech failed to cover the spread and both teams fell way under the 133.5 total line.
The Red Raiders, making their third Sweet 16 appearance in their last four tournaments, will have another challenge against Duke.
It’s a battle of the top adjusted defense in Texas Tech vs. the third-ranked adjusted offense in Duke.
Texas Tech opens up as 1.5-point favorites. As good as the Raiders’ defense is, I’m taking Banchero and Duke to cover and win outright and advance to the Elite 8 to keep Coach K’s run going.
What: South Region, Sweet 16
Tipoff time: 9:39 p.m. ET Thursday
TV: CBS
Location: Chase Center, San Francisco
AJ Griffin, Duke freshman forward, top 10
Mark Williams, Duke sophomore center, first round
Trevor Keels, Duke freshman guard, late first round
Wendell Moore Jr., Duke junior guard, second round
Kevin McCullar, Texas Tech junior guard, potential second round
See Sam Vecenie’s full NBA Draft big board
Model projection: Texas Tech by 3.6, total 136.6
Tech vs Duke Preview
For those without subs:
Panel: Expert predictions for NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game on Thursday
By Michael Waterloo 3h ago
Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s last dance keeps going, as Duke defeated the Michigan State Spartans 85-76 on Sunday. Despite many questioning how good Duke truly was and if they were deserving of a No. 2 seed, the Blue Devils have handled business thus far, heading to the 26th Sweet 16 under Coach K in his 42 seasons.
Hate them or love them – that’s an incredible number.
Freshman star Paolo Banchero led all scorers with 19 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in 38 minutes. Duke also had to overcome the loss of fellow freshman A.J. Griffin due to an ankle injury in the second half of the game.
Duke took a 75-74 lead with 2:03 left in the game and still ended up covering the 6.5-point spread and the teams combined to hit the Over on the 146.5 total.
Duke’s dancing partner in the Sweet 16 will be Texas Tech, who defeated Notre Dame 59-53 on Sunday.
The Red Raiders’ top-ranked defense was the difference in the game, and it was a performance that would have made alum Andre Emmett proud.
Offensively, Kevin McCullar and Bryston Williams led the Texas Tech attack with 14 points each. Taking on a Notre Dame team that was shooting 38.3 percent from the three-point line, the Red Raiders knew they were in for a challenge.
They were up for it.
Notre Dame was shot just 9-of-28 from behind the arc and 32.7 percent from the field. It wasn’t pretty, but the end result was. Tech failed to cover the spread and both teams fell way under the 133.5 total line.
The Red Raiders, making their third Sweet 16 appearance in their last four tournaments, will have another challenge against Duke.
It’s a battle of the top adjusted defense in Texas Tech vs. the third-ranked adjusted offense in Duke.
Texas Tech opens up as 1.5-point favorites. As good as the Raiders’ defense is, I’m taking Banchero and Duke to cover and win outright and advance to the Elite 8 to keep Coach K’s run going.
What: South Region, Sweet 16
Tipoff time: 9:39 p.m. ET Thursday
TV: CBS
Location: Chase Center, San Francisco
Odds, Over/Under, Moneyline
| TEAM | SPREAD | TOTAL | MONEYLINE |
|---|---|---|---|
 Texas Tech | -1.5 | 136.5 | -120 |
 Duke | +100 |
NBA Draft prospects
Paolo Banchero, Duke freshman forward, top 5AJ Griffin, Duke freshman forward, top 10
Mark Williams, Duke sophomore center, first round
Trevor Keels, Duke freshman guard, late first round
Wendell Moore Jr., Duke junior guard, second round
Kevin McCullar, Texas Tech junior guard, potential second round
See Sam Vecenie’s full NBA Draft big board
Expert picks
Staff picks will be added later on Monday.Model projection: Texas Tech by 3.6, total 136.6
