Duke March Madness Predictions

Article Updated March 14th, 2010

When it comes to the discussion about tournament mainstays, the Duke Blue Devils simply have to be one of the first teams mentioned. Duke has not missed an NCAA March Madness Tournament since the 1995 tournament, and before that was the 1983 tournament. However, disastrous tournament appearances in 07' and 08' have the Blue Devils looking to once against establish themselves as the team to beat every March. Duke capped off their season with an ACC Championship Title this afternoon, with their 65-61 win over Georgia Tech. The Blue Devils are boasting a 29-5 overall record, being 13-3 in ACC play, which should be good enough to be named to a #1 seed later this afternoon.

Duke Blue Devils Tournament Prediction

Being a regular attendee at this tournament is one thing, but being the main target of roughly 60 teams every year is another. That's the pressure that is put on the Duke Blue Devils every March, however they have responded well over their tournament history. In 33 tournament appearances, the Blue Devils have made it to a remarkable 14 Final Fours, while winning championships in the 1991, 1992, and 2001 seasons. An overall tournament record of 88-30 suggests that this team should have won more championships in school history, however several semi-final and tournament final losses have left the Blue Devils hungry to cut the mesh come early April. I believe this year's version of the Blue Devils has the right attitude and veteran presence to make a serious run in the 2010 tournament. Look for Duke to make at least an Elite Eight run, and likely contend in their 15th Final Four in school history.

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Article Written February 23rd, 2010

Team Offense - Some would argue the key to success in this tournament is experience and veteran presences in intense collegiate games such as these. If that's the case, than it plays well into the hands of the Duke Blue Devils. Duke is lead up front by Senior Guard John Scheyer, who puts up almost 19 points per game, and easily leads the team in assists with 5.4 per game. Other veteran contributions come from Junior Guard Nolan Smith, who puts up 18 points per game, while ranking 2nd on the team with an even 3.0 assists per game and Junior Forward Kyle Singler, who still puts up 16.9 points per game for the Blue Devils while leading the team with 7.3 rebounds per contest. Like most Coach K teams, this year's Blue Devils squad is a extremely powerful offensive threat, scoring about 80 points per game, and reaching the 100-point plateau on 4 occasions this year.

Team Defense - When speaking of the Blue Devils, it's the offense getting a lot of the credit while the stellar defense is overlooked. This year's Blue Devils defense is giving up 62.5 points per game, and has only given up more than 80 points on two different occasions this season. On the defensive glass, significant contributions have been made this season by a trio of big men for the Blue Devils that includes Kyle Singler, Miles Plumlee, and Brian Zoubek. Together, these three veterans make it hard for the opposing offense to create second chance opportunities down low, as well as limiting unnecessary fouls on the defense. However, 6'8" Junior Forward Kyle Singler is the dominate force on defense for Duke, leading the team with 23 blocks on the year as well as playing the 2nd most minutes overall for the Blue Devils.