2023 Bracketology: Biggest impact matchups to watch during Feast week
Phil Knight Legacy, November 24-25, 27, Portland, Oregon
On the flip side, at the Legacy, a matchup between No. 7 Duke and No. 2 Gonzaga is in the offing, but first, they both have to get there. Duke must first get by Oregon State then either Florida or Xavier, while the Bulldogs get Portland State first, and then the winner of the game between Purdue and West Virginia.
So far this season both Duke and Gonzaga have looked the part of teams worthy of their lofty expectations. A tournament win by either of the favorites would be a huge quad 1 win in their quest for a No. 1 seed, and perhaps the overall top seed when March rolls around.
But, they better not get caught looking ahead because their possible semifinal opponents are also looking for the kind of win that may set them apart in an at-large conversation, and someone other than Duke and Gonzaga meeting in the finals of the legacy would certainly do just that. Duke is really good and getting better by the day. The freshman on the roster has been really impressive to start the year, namely Mark Mitchell and Kyle Filipowski. Filipowski is averaging a double-double and Mitchell putting in 12.5 of his own.
Duke is one of those teams that I think will get even better as the year goes on because Dereck Lively has yet to get going and Dariq Whitehead, arguably the team’s best player made his debut on Friday against Delaware. They lost a tough one to Kansas in the champions classic but their defense has been spectacular all year. So far, the Blue Devils have allowed just 52 points per contest and rank 8th in offensive efficiency, and are the 11th-best team in the country in three-point defense. A tournament win in Oregon would put Duke firmly entrenched in the top-seed conversation.
If there is anybody left in the “Gonzaga doesn’t play anyone” crowd, they should probably go sit quietly in the corner because the Bulldogs (3-1) have played Michigan State, Texas, and Kentucky before traveling to Portland. Gonzaga is once again loaded with talent, from Drew Timme and Julian Strawther to Hunter Sallis and Malachi Smith.
Even though they average 82.5 points per game and are one of the most offensively efficient teams in the country, they still have flaws. One of them showed itself in the loss to Texas, the perimeter defense allowed the longhorns to shoot 39% from deep and that is something to keep an eye on moving forward for Mark Few’s team. A win at the Phil Knight Legacy would give them as many quality wins as anyone in the country and re-establish them as a favorite for the overall No. 1 seed.
The matchup between Florida and Xavier should not only be fun, but it’s also an important one with both teams looking to pick up those all-important non-conference wins. For Florida, this tournament will be their best chance to do so, and the same can be said for Xavier after falling to Indiana in their last game. The game in the paint should be fun in this one with the musketeers’ Jack Nunge and Zach Fremantle battling Colin Castleton.
However, don’t sleep on the backcourts with Will Richard and Kyle Lofton averaging over 23.8 points for the gators and the trio of Souley Boum, Colby Jones, and Adam Kunkel matching that and then some with 38 for Xavier.
The Purdue game against West Virginia is interesting because I’m sure Zach Edey would love a shot at Gonzaga’s frontcourt, and with West Virginia likely seen as a fringe tournament team in the big 12 right now, Tre Mitchell would like the same opportunity and going through Purdue to get it would be a nice feather in their cap. Much like the Florida and Xavier game, the Edey vs. Mitchell game could be worth the price of admission.