March Madness 2019: 5 reasons Duke won’t win the national title

Duke enters March Madness as the No. 1 seed and the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament, but a few things could stand in their way of a national title.

It’s March — the time of year in college basketball when any outcome starts to feel like a longshot. Just when you convince yourself that 1-seed is a lock to come out of their region, six upsets materialize.

Duke is perhaps the surest thing with the best college player, Zion Williamson, we’ve seen since Anthony Davis. Indeed, Davis’ Kentucky team won a title and Davis was rewarded with a pile of individual awards. What if the road is not so breezy for Williamson and the Blue Devils?

Here are five ways Duke could slip up on the road to a championship.

No. 1: ACC rematches

Duke could reasonably — and this is assuming relative chalk — face Virginia Tech, Louisville, and one of either North Carolina or Virginia on its way to a national title. The Blue Devils already lost to the Hokies and Tar Heels this season and the two Virginia games were decided by a total of 12 points.

Certainly, familiarity will help in these matchups but those opponents will have the benefit of a mountain of scouting against Duke as well.

Only a handful of teams can say they beat Duke this year and the Blue Devils may have to face two or three of them before all is said and done.