Duke Basketball: Tough matchups for the Blue Devils in the East Region

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 16: Teammates RJ Barrett #5 and Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils react after defeating the Florida State Seminoles 73-63 in the championship game of the 2019 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 16, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 16: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans meets with head coach Tom Izzo in the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers during the semifinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 16, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

1. Michigan State Spartans

The Michigan State Spartans had an excellent season, despite missing Joshua Langford for most of the year due to injury. The Spartans fought through this adversity and finished the regular season with a 25-6 overall record. They then went on to defeat Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan to win the Big Ten tournament. The Spartans’ reward for winning the Big Ten tournament was being placed in the same region as the No. 1 overall seed Duke Blue Devils.

The Blue Devils would rather not see the Spartans in the Elite Eight game. The Spartans are led by star guard Cassius Winston, who averages 18.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 7.6 assists. Winston has led the Spartans to one of the most efficient offensive teams in the nation. The Spartans offense would be hard to stop with the veteran guard running the show.

They also have one of the most efficient defenses as well, to put a cherry on top. The Spartans love to pack the paint and force their opponents into tough three-point attempts. This sort of defense would expose one of the Blue Devils greatest weaknesses. The Blue Devils are shooting 30.2% from the 3-point line, which has them ranked 340th in the nation. The Spartans would do an excellent job of baiting the young Blue Devils into low percentage 3-pointers if the two teams faced each other.

Although the Blue Devils rise to the occasion for big games, the Blue Devils would rather not meet up with the Big Ten champions in the Elite Eight. Their mix of offense and defense would be enough to challenge the Blue Devils for a Final Four run.

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