NCAA Tournament 2019: Ranking the upcoming Sweet 16 matchups

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 22: Corey Kispert #24 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs is defended by Terance Mann #14 of the Florida State Seminoles in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional at Staples Center on March 22, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

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BLACKSBURG, VA – FEBRUARY 26: Jones #3 of the Blue Devils defends. (Photo by Lauren Rakes/Getty Images) /

(1) Duke Blue Devils vs. (4) Virginia Tech Hokies

Duke is one of the best teams in the nation and it is impossible to dispute that. When completely healthy, there are very few teams in the country who can really match up with this roster. Zion Williamson is going to be the National Player of the Year and his supporting cast features plenty of other NBA-level talents as well. With all of this said, though, Virginia Tech is one of those teams that can definitely compete. And while facing a completely healthy Duke is an entirely different animal, the Hokies should enter this matchup with confidence, having already beaten this No. 1 seed in the regular season.

The major reason why I believe this could be the most compelling Sweet 16 matchup is Virginia Tech’s defense. I know this might come as a surprise considering the Hokies’ calling card is their offensive play, but it is the truth. This is due to the fact that Virginia Tech allows the second-highest 3PAr in the country and that might actually be an advantage in this matchup. Duke is a poor 3-point shooting team and they could be baited into attempting those shots.

If Duke attempts a ton of threes and those shots do not fall, Virginia Tech not only will hang around but will be in great shape to take the victory. This is especially true when you consider that the Hokies have the ability to light it up on the other end of the floor themselves. Virginia Tech ranks in the top-50 nationally in both 3PAr and 3P%. If they catch fire offensively, good luck slowing them down.

Next. Reranking the Sweet 16 teams. dark

There might not have been a ton of opening weekend upsets in the NCAA Tournament but that sets a tremendous set of Sweet 16 games. It was very difficult to rank these games because of the elite status of each matchup but I gave my best shot. I hope that you enjoyed and have a great second weekend of the Big Dance.

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