Duke vs. Virginia Tech: 2019 NCAA Tournament game preview, TV schedule
Virginia Tech upset Duke when they faced off in the regular season. With both teams having their best players back, who wins Round two?
TV schedule: Friday, March 29, 9:39 pm ET. (approx) CBS
Arena: Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.
Of all the Sweet 16 matchups, the one between Duke (31-5) and Virginia Tech (26-8) may have the most intrigue. Not only because it’s a rematch between conference foes that involved an upset but also due to what happened this weekend with the Blue Devils.
After beating North Dakota State by 23 points, Duke struggled with UCF all game long. Trailing by four points with under two minutes to go, the Blue Devils needed a missed alley-oop, Tacko Fall fouling out and a couple of last-second misses by the Knights to win 79-77 in an epic battle. Zion Williamson had 32 points and 11 rebounds but other Blue Devils struggled. Tre Jones and RJ Barrett combined to shoot 11/30 from the field and only have four players with more than three points scored.
The Blue Devils will face ACC foe Virginia Tech, who after handling Saint Louis in the first round, edged out Liberty in the Round of 32. Kerry Blackshear led all scorers with 19 points, while Ty Outlaw had a double-double on the night. Justin Robinson had 13 points in 29 minutes off the bench in his second game back from a foot injury.
The star guard missed over a month of action due to a foot injury, including the Hokies 77-72 upset home win over Duke. Williamson didn’t play for the Blue Devils in that contest either. Barrett had 21 points in that game, while Blackshear paced Tech with 23.
Both teams now have their top players for the Sweet 16 matchup, which gives the edge to Duke on paper. But the Hokies not only have the athletes to keep with the Blue Devils, but they also have the shooting. Buzz Williams’ team ranks 8th nationally in three-point percentage with 40%. If they can outscore Duke on the perimeter to offset the expected advantage the favorites will have inside. It’s also key in how Blackshear deals with Williamson without getting in foul trouble.
Next. Ranking the Sweet 16 teams. dark
When going on a title run, teams usually have that one close call that could’ve gone the other way. With that out Duke’s system, there’s a good chance they roll heading to the Final Four. That starts with avenging their regular season loss to the Hokies.