March Madness 2017: ESPN analyst Dick Vitale talks NCAA Tournament

Dickie V’s Final Four is always a topic for discussion, and it’s not surprising that Vitale had both Duke and North Carolina — coming out of the nation’s toughest conference, the ACC — in his group.

Vitale isn’t even giving defending champion Villanova a shot at defending the title this year, leaving them out of his Final Four picks.

While picking North Carolina and Gonzaga to advance may not seem like a stretch, Vitale likes what he sees from two No. 2 seeds — Duke and Louisville — in the 2017 tournament. Duke, in particular, is a team Vitale thinks could be dangerous this year.

But what about the volatile Grayson Allen? While many think Allen and his antics can be a hindrance to Mike Krzyzewski and his team, Vitale thinks that the oft-maligned Duke guard can be a difference-maker for the Blue Devils.

"“The last couple of games, he’s played really Grayson Allen-style basketball. [Allen] struggled a little bit early. But you know, he went through that emotional stretch with the tripping and all the publicity that was negative, and he earned that because of his actions. No question, he created that monster for himself, and I think it was tough for him to deal with. But he’s back. I think he’s back playing the basketball that he’s capable of, being a facilitator and getting people involved. So you get him playing at his A-game — along with Luke Kennard who’s been All-American all year, and Jason Tatum, who I think is as good as any diaper-dandy in America — and then you factor in a veteran player like Amile Jefferson and the rising ability of a Frank Jackson, and Duke’s a legitimate choice.”"

Sounds like Vitale is seeing a lot of deep tournament runs coming from the Tobacco Road Rivalry.