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Duke vs. Gonzaga: Key storylines to watch for in Maui Invitational matchup

By Brian Rauf

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 20: RJ Barrett #5 of the Duke Blue Devils throws down a dunk during the second half of the game against the Auburn Tigers at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 20, 2018 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 20: RJ Barrett #5 of the Duke Blue Devils throws down a dunk during the second half of the game against the Auburn Tigers at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 20, 2018 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /
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LAHAINA, HI – NOVEMBER 20: Rui Hachimura #21 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs sets up to take a jump shot during the first half of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 20, 2018 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, HI – NOVEMBER 20: Rui Hachimura #21 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs sets up to take a jump shot during the first half of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 20, 2018 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

Duke and Gonzaga will meet in the Maui Invitational title game on Wednesday night in a battle of top three teams. Who will emerge victorious?

Are you ready for the best game of the young season so far?

Duke and Gonzaga have taken care of business in the Maui Invitational to meet in the tournament’s championship game, giving us a showdown between the No.1 and No. 3 teams in the country, respectively.

The Blue Devils got here with a blowout win over San Diego State before grabbing a 78-72 win over No. 8 Auburn. That was the first game of the season in which Duke won by fewer than 22 points, showcasing just how dominant they’ve been on their way to the No. 1 ranking.

On the flip side, Gonzaga has not looked dominant, securing a six-point win over Illinois before grabbing a hard-fought victory over Arizona to reach the title game.

The Zags are still playing without starting forward Killian Tillie, who will be out for roughly another month, but stars Rui Hachimura and Zach Norvell Jr. have kept them playing at a high level.

Speaking of playing at a high level, no one has been playing at a higher level than Duke’s quartet of freshman stars (R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish, Tre Jones). Barrett, Williamson, and Reddish are projected to be the top three overall picks in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Many are billing this as a youth vs. experience matchup, and while that may play a factor, I don’t see it as something that will determine the outcome of this game. As such, here are the three storylines worth watching that will determine which team leaves Maui as champions.

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