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Can anyone stop Duke in the South region?

ByNathaniel Reeves|
Jan 25, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) reacts to his dunk during the first half against the St. John
Jan 25, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) reacts to his dunk during the first half against the St. John

Duke has been impressive so far in the NCAA Tournament, while other top teams in the South region have looked shaky or are already eliminated.

Duke avoided an early NCAA Tournament exit Sunday with an impressive 68-49 win over San Diego State to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the 21st time under Mike Krzyzewski.

The game got as close as eight points in the second half, but the Blue Devils never felt seriously threatened by the offensively-challenged Aztecs. No team on Duke’s side of the bracket has looked quite as impressive, opening up the path to the Final Four.

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With the likes of Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow, Quinn Cook and Tyus Jones, the Blue Devils will flat out have more talent on the floor than just about any team they run into. So, can anyone stop Duke from advancing out of the South region?

Duke is the favorite on paper, but it’s not going to be easy. While the Blue Devils are one of the very best offensive teams in the country, they ranked 83rd in points allowed per possession. Teams with those defensive efficiency numbers rarely reach the Final Four, let alone win the tournament.

First up for Duke will be Utah on Friday in Houston. The Blue Devils should be able to advance, but Utah has many of the components to be dangerous in March.

Utah has some experience, good efficiency numbers, and is led by a fantastic senior guard in Delon Wright, who can do a bit of everything. Jakob Poeltl, while not on the level of Okafor, is a very capable seven-footer who can cause some damage.

The key will be slowing down Utah’s other options—as good as Wright is, the Utes don’t fare too well when Wright has to take over the game. Duke may get a stern test, but it should have enough to put away the Utes and move on to the Elite Eight.

That leaves Gonzaga as the only other team in the South with a serious chance of beating the Blue Devils. The Bulldogs matchup well with Duke and have the talent and size to move on the Final Four.

Okafor has an incredibly polished offensive game for a freshman, and he is just about impossible to stop in the post for most teams. However, in a potential matchup against Gonzaga, Okafor could run into a freshman with a similar game in Domantas Sabonis.

Sabonis is also very advanced offensively, in part due to his years playing professionally in Europe. With Okafor’s defensive issues, that could be a problem for the Blue Devils.

The Bulldogs create matchup issues elsewhere, as Kyle Wiltjer can stretch Duke’s defense and Gary Bell Jr. is one of the very best on-ball defenders in the country. Gonzaga also would have a decided advantage in depth should fouls or injuries become a factor.

Of course, Gonzaga has to advance that far first, and it certainly didn’t look comfortable in the round of 64 against North Dakota State. Aaron White and Iowa are talented enough to give the Bulldogs a game Sunday night in Seattle.

All of that is not to spite the Blue Devils, who have some of the best shooters in the country in addition to a great big man. Duke’s offense is good enough to overcome the defense problems.

Iowa or UCLA would obviously have to beat some good teams to advance far enough to play Duke, but neither feels like a serious threat. Iowa State versus Duke could have been a back-and-forth, up-and-down affair, but the Cyclones were destroyed on the glass by UAB in a round of 64 upset that sent them home early.

Provided it comes to that, Gonzaga versus Duke could be one of the very best matchups of the 2015 tournament. The bracket has opened up nicely for the Blue Devils, but they are not unbeatable.

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