NCAA Tournament: Duke, Virginia Tech, Michigan State and LSU remain in East Region
Duke Blue Devils
The Duke Blue Devils have made it all the way to the East region semifinal after a close ending against the UCF Knights. Despite the close result, Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett have been their scoring leaders since the tournament began. Williamson’s return has sparked an offensive burst but he’ll need to sustain it.
Duke managed to survive against Tacko Fall and UCF but the Hokies are a totally different team. They’re a team that likes to shoot the 3-ball and speed teams up on defense. The Blue Devils will need to play better with Zion leading the way this time around.
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the best team in the Big Ten so it’s no surprise they’re in this position. After two straight second-round exits in the NCAA Tournament, they’re back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2012-13.
Despite injuries to key players, they’ve found a way to win with Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman leading the way. Winston has been their best player with the ball in his hands while Tillman has stepped up big in the absence of Nick Ward. Now, they’ve got a chance to make the Final Four. They haven’t faced LSU in a while but they’ve beaten one of their conference nemesis’: the Florida Gators.
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers find themselves in the Sweet 16 under an interim head coach given their off the court issues. They’ve managed to make it this far, holding off a comeback from Yale and overcoming Maryland to making the Region semifinals.
Sophomore Tremont Waters, freshmen Naz Reid and Ja’Vonte Smart and junior Skylar Mays continuously find ways to boost their team to victory. It’ll be a tough battle in the backcourt with Waters and Winston and in the frontcourt with Reid and Tillman. Look for the supporting cast to step up for the Tigers in this one, which has been the theme.
Virginia Tech Hokies
The Virginia Tech Hokies have had the odds stacked against them but the return of senior Justin Robinson has certainly given them a boost. Robinson’s return sparked a big victory over the St. Louis Billikens this past Friday.
They trailed by three points against the Liberty Flames at halftime, but a combination of better offense and scrappy defense flipped the script. Kerry Blackshear Jr. put up 10 of his 19 points in the second half as they got the 67-58 win. They’ll need all of their rotation players to play well this Friday and they’re a group used to playing against stacked odds.