For the first time in eight NCAA Tournaments, a night of Sweet 16 games featured every game being decided by double digits. Will history repeat itself? We know they’re a great three-point shooting team, so we just tried to make them put the ball on the ground. “We really wanted to get (Marshall) Plumlee in foul trouble because he’s so big, and maybe that would open things underneath”.
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To be fair, Brooks didn’t give Allen any reason to like him. Duke won the only other meeting 98-71 in 2010 – Ducks’ coach Dana Altman’s first year…. This group caught some flak – and so did the selection committee – when it landed that No. 1 seed.
The Sooners will need Hield, Woodard and the rest of the cast to shoot well against Oregon. The Ducks have proved themselves as a rightful top seed.
No nerves, no panic – and no rallies by Duke. We fought the whole year.
But it was those two areas that hurt the Blue Devils most against the Ducks Thursday, and ultimately spelled the end of their season.
OR forward Chris Boucher, left, fouls Duke guard Grayson Allen during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, Thursday, March 24, 2016, in Anaheim, Calif. What team did OR beat to win the crown?
“They’re not that deep”, Brooks said of the Blue Devils.
“They were the better team, that was pretty obvious”, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
But there is no greater measuring stick to gauge a program’s progress than facing Duke, especially this time of year.
Freshman Brandon Ingram led Duke with 24 points but he was about the only Blue Devil who could keep up with Pac-12 regular-season and tournament champion Oregon’s quickness and athleticism. He was a rare kind of quiet, non-hated Duke star. “He’s a terrific player. I said, ‘You’re a terrific player”. Both players were asked about this afterward.
“He said I’m too good of a player to be showing off at the end”, Brooks said.
Brooks described the encounter to Sports Illustrated’s Pete Thamel.
And the Internet did its thing with Sad M.J. – though I do appreciate the creativity here by tossing in Ted Cruz. “I love my teammates, and that’s just the way I play”. Kruger is considered, within the business, to be one of the best. “When we attacked the rim, we just didn’t go up strong”.
OR will now face No. 2 seed Oklahoma, who won in the earlier game against No. 3 seed Texas A&M, 77-63. Not so expected? The way Buddy Hield got to play more dynamic role player than counted-on superstar.
Brooks has been instrumental to Oregon’s success all season because of his scoring, passing and ability to defend multiple positions.
“We’re excited to be in the (Elite Eight)”.
For the game OR shot 49.2 percent from the field on 32-of-65 shooting including an impressive 10 three-pointers but was uncharacteristically cold from the free throw line hitting only 8-of-17 from the line.
Plenty of context to that statement here, but let me add this: Villanova has only trailed for 75 seconds this tournament!
They’ll play Saturday against Oregon.
The Wildcats will certainly have their hands full with Kansas.
But Duke’s run to make the Sweet 16, even after losing 6-9 forward Amile Jefferson to a December foot injury, had Krzyzewski full of praise even though his team couldn’t get back to the Final Four for a second consecutive year. The first day was OK, then Friday got nuts. “Especially when we had the games versus UVa, North Carolina, Louisville and now, but we fought”.
Krzyzewski told the Blue Devils they earned the right to be a Duke team and to wear the Duke uniform by the toughness they showed all season.
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Hey, it just feels great to have the tourney back. “But you cross a certain bridge when you go to the Final Four”.
