Mr. Big Shot version 2.0 could present matchup problems for Duke in Saturday's matchup. (Pic via thehoopsreport.com)
Duke and West Virginia tangle in what appears to be the real National Championship game. Saturday’s matchup features the two best teams in the Final Four by a wide margin. Bob Huggins led his team through a difficult region, while Coach K didn’t have much to worry about as Duke coasted through the easiest region in recent memory. I’m excited to watch this game unfold.
Duke and West Virginia tip around 6:15 Eastern Time. Let’s take a closer look at the interesting matchups, keys to the game, and who will win.
Matchups to watch: One of the reasons this game should be so interesting is how well both teams matchup with one another personnel-wise. Joe Mazzulla figures to check Jon Scheyer, who gets a ton of attention for being Duke’s so-called best player. The real key to Duke’s success, and perhaps the Devils best player, is Nolan Smith. Mazzulla and Devin Ebanks could split time on Smith, who has an advantage in quickness but could struggle against size. Kyle Singler is the only Blue Devil with both the size and athleticism to stick with Da’Sean Butler. Singler needs to stay out of foul trouble for Duke to contain the versatile Butler.
Keys to the game: After battling a lack of size and toughness for the last few seasons, Duke has emerged as one of the biggest and most physical teams in the NCAA Tournament. West Virginia has the length and athleticism to match Duke, and certainly the toughness. A matchup featuring two of the nation’s best defensive teams (Toughness and defense, two traits not commonly associated with Duke) could simply come down to which team shoots the ball better from the perimeter. Neither team figures to spend much time in the paint in this one, placing an emphasis on taking care of the ball and taking good shots.
Who will win: Oh boy. This is really tough to call. West Virginia doesn’t seem to do anything great, but does everything pretty well. Despite playing without Truck Bryant, WVU should be able to control the tempo against Duke, a good defensive team but not a true pressure team. The Blue Devils haven’t seen anything close to the combination of athleticism and toughness exhibited by the Mountaineers in the tournament. I like West Virginia in a low-scoring game filled with lots of fouls.
To The Tin 