Bracketology 2022: Duke, Wisconsin, and Arizona among Feast Week winners
By Joey Loose
Duke
With the national pandemic causing a major effect, last season was a bit of a peculiar one in the college basketball world. One thing that was certainly unexpected was the lack of success from certain Blue Blood powers, with neither Duke nor Kentucky making the NCAA Tournament. A 13-11 record was a certain disappointment for the Blue Devils, but this is a brand new season and a special one at that. In Mike Krzyzewski’s final season as Duke’s head coach, the Blue Devils are showing why their one of the best teams and programs in the nation.
Winning their first seven games surely makes the Blue Devils a winner, but they scored one of the most impressive victories of the entire season just a few days ago. After winning five straight easy games at home, the Blue Devils took on #1 Gonzaga in Las Vegas on Friday night and came away with a thrilling 84-81 upset win, getting 21 points from freshman stud Paolo Banchero in a fantastic all-around effort.
Last year, Duke was left on the outside and likely would’ve given anything for an NCAA Tournament bid. This season, they look like a team that could not only contend for a 1-seed but could be a heavy favorite to cut the nets down in early April. This win over Gonzaga is going to be huge down the stretch and potential a big deal when deciding seeding down the line.
It’s going to be hard for anyone else in the 1-seed discussion to have this kind of win on their resume. It’s far too early to make any assumptions, but it sure looks like Duke will be back in the Big Dance and will leave their mark in Coach K’s last dance.