The Atlanta region features Sweet 16 favorites Duke, which breezed through the first two rounds, and Texas, which faced near-upsets against Princeton and UNC. Underdogs Illinois and Xavier, which were supposed to lose in the second round, are hoping to continue their streak of upsets.
Duke vs Illinois — Friday 9 p.m. Central Time
Duke (29-5), entering its seventh-consecutive Sweet 16, has faced an easy road as a result of its No. 1 seed. The Blue Devils’ road should get bumpy beginning with Illinois, which is no stranger to the tournament either. The Fighting Illini upset Cincinnati and defeated Murray State en route to its third Sweet 16 in four years.
The Fighting Illini should test the shooting of J.J. Redick and the injured ribs of Chris Duhon more than previous opponents Alabama State and Seton Hall.
Redick shot his way out of a month-long slump in Duke’s rst-round game against Alabama State, bringing a collective sigh of relief from the Duke faithful. Redick was able to carry his momentum into the second round against Seton Hall, where he contributed 21 points in a 90-62 victory.
Duke remains cautious about senior point guard Chris Duhon, who seems to have recovered well in the rst two rounds after injuring his ribs during the ACC tournament.
The Blue Devils ended Seton Hall’s season thanks in part to Duhon, who put the clamps on Andre Barret, limiting the All-Big East guard to eight points and ve assists.
Before the game, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said Barret is one of the 10 best players in the country, which apparently lit a spark under the senior All-ACC point guard, who also chipped in with nine points, six rebounds and ve assists.
“They keyed in on me,” Barret told the AP. “I mean, a lot of teams do that, but they really put the zoom on me, and it made it hard for all of us.”
No. 5 Illinois brings a balanced team into the tournament, with all starters averaging between nine and 13 points and between four and seven rebounds per game. Offensive balance has worked in the favor of the Illini, especially when top defenders like Duhon have not had one scorer to focus on.
Illinois will have a tougher test than its previous opponents after blowing out Cincinnati, shooting better than 60 percent from the field and 11-for-19 from 3-point range in their 92-68 victory.
Guard Dee Williams matched a career high with 31 points, shooting 10-for-13 from the eld. He also added eight assists and two steals.
Illinois will need to continue its hot shooting and get some luck if they are to beat Duke, which has shown no weaknesses all season long. The resurgence of Redick and recovery of Duhon should put Duke on top.
Xavier vs Texas — Friday 6:30 p.m. Central Time
No. 3 Texas (25-7), entering its third-consecutive Sweet 16, will square off against No. 7 Xavier, who will play in its first Sweet 16 since 1990.
The Longhorns feature 11 players who see regular playing time and regularly contribute. They have players they can mix and match at every position except point guard, where they lack ball-handlers.
Texas defeated No. 14 Princeton and its famous Princeton offense, with added attention to detail on defense. The Longhorns held the Ivy League champions to 22 points in the first half. Texas opened up its offense in the second half, scoring 41 points in the final 20 minutes.
Texas’ lack of a true point guard almost caught up with the Longhorns in the second round against North Carolina, where UNC rallied late in the second half because they were able to press Texas’ sub-par ball-handling guards. Point production from the deepest bench in college basketball carried the Longhorns through UNC, scoring 34 points off the bench compared to seven from the Tar Heels. They also scored 36 points in the paint against UNC.
Sometimes the team playing the best basketball near the end of the season advances to the Final Four, not necessarily the most talented or experienced team. Xavier (25-10), which won 15 of their past 16 games, including a 20-point blowout over then-No. 1 Saint Joseph’s, may be that team.
The Musketeers can hold their own under the boards, although their game has shifted to the perimeter. The program known for producing NBA power forwards now has a balanced offensive attack that leans toward perimeter play.
Xavier defeated Louisville with three scorers in double figures, including Lionel Chalmers’ then career high 25 points and 24 from fellow NBA prospect Romain Sato.
The Musketeers beat Mississippi State with four scorers in double figures, including Chalmers’ second-consecutive career high of 31 points and an extra 22 from Dedrick Finn, advancing Xavier to its first Sweet 16 since 1990.
Xavier trailed 23-13 early in the first half. The Musketeers ended the half with a 21-10 run, taking a 34-33 halftime lead which was never surrendered.
Despite two consecutive break-out performances from Chalmers, Texas should beat Xavier. The Longhorns’ lack of a true point guard will not hurt them until they face Duke.
Despite playing in the toughest region, the Blue Devils should win against Illinois, and take the Atlanta region after beating Texas. Duke has point guard Chris Duhon, who will expose No. 3 Texas’ lack of a true point guard, and players with more tournament experience than Xavier or Texas.