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NCAA Tournament 2019: 5 biggest storylines entering the Sweet 16

By Brandon Simberg

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - JANUARY 6: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers reacts to a play in the first half during a game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at John Paul Jones Arena on January 6, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - JANUARY 6: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers reacts to a play in the first half during a game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at John Paul Jones Arena on January 6, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 24: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts with Tre Jones #3 after a basket against the UCF Knights during the first half in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 24: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts with Tre Jones #3 after a basket against the UCF Knights during the first half in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 24, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

With the top teams all remaining in the Sweet 16, there are a ton of potential storylines for the possible matchups this weekend in the NCAA Tournament.

The first weekend was unusually calm for an NCAA tournament. There were few upsets and no Cinderella’s emerged (Oregon has too many four and five-star players to be labeled “Cinderella”).

The lack of upsets though, has led to some great matchups for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8. With several blue bloods still alive, coaches vying for that coveted Final Four, and some great matchups of similar and contracting styles, there are some great storylines to look forward to this weekend.

1. Duke (and their path to the Final Four)

The biggest storyline from the round of 32 and frankly the entire season, was Duke. The Blue Devils narrowly escaped with a 77-76 victory over UCF. Duke was pretty lucky to win the game. They got a favorable call on Zion Williamson’s layup to cut the lead to one, then a favorable bounce on Williamson’s missed free throw that dropped in the hands of R.J. Barrett, and finally two UCF shot attempts to win the game that just rimmed out.

The biggest takeaway from the game is that Duke is beatable. There was an aura surrounding the Blue Devils that they were unbeatable with a fully healthy squad, but that invincibility is gone. The blueprint to let the role players shoot threes worked. Tre Jones and Jordan Goldwire went a combined 2-11 and Duke seemed lost on offense at times.

They will take on Virginia Tech in the Sweet 16, a team they lost to earlier this year without Williamson. With UCF’s success against Duke, it will be fascinating to see if the Hokies follow that same plan. A reason they might not is because they do not have a 7’6 center inside like UCF. The Knights were able to plant Tacko Fall in the paint to block shots and defer Duke players away from the rim. The Hokies are a smaller team so how they matchup with Duke will be something to note.

If Duke can get past Virginia Tech, they will play the winner of Michigan State and LSU. LSU does not have Zion, but they have plenty of athleticism on the wing and interior that would make it a fun game. Michigan State is not as athletic, but has size and a point guard that can find the weaknesses in Duke’s defense.

No matter what happens this weekend, it should no longer be a foregone conclusion that the Blue Devils will be the champs. After the UCF game no team will be scared of Duke. But as we saw in that tightly contested contest, Zion Williamson is going to do anything in his power to bring a title back to Durham, and that is always the biggest story.

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