Final Four: Duke vs West Virginia

The Final Four is all set with some pretty interesting storylines. Duke and Coach K make their return to the Final Four after a six-year absence, Michigan State makes their second straight appearance, the Butler Bulldogs continued their 24-game winning streak at the expense of Kansas State, and West Virginia reaches the Final Four for the first time since 1959.

Each of the four teams have their claim on who deserves to advance in the national finals. Here is a recap of how Duke and West Virginia reached the Final Four.

Duke dismisses Baylor. Jon Scheyer filled up the box score with 20 points, five boards and four dimes and Nolan Smith scored 29 points for the Blue Devils. Luckily for Duke their outside shots were falling (they shot an impressive 48 percent from beyond the arc). Baylor’s defense effectively closed the driving lanes and their size prevented Duke from getting inside. It took a while for Duke to bust open Baylor’s zone

The Blue Devils survived a big game from LaceDarius Dunn and Ekpe Udoh who scored 22 points and 18 points, respectively.

West Virginia upsets Kentucky. Nonexistent perimeter shooting did the Wildcats in. West Virginia’s aggressive and in-your-face defense forced Kentucky to shoot from the perimeter, as a result the Wildcats shot a dismal 16 percent from beyond the arc. The Mountaineers knew exactly how to stop Kentucky: keep them out of the lane, rebound the ball to prevent fast breaks, tough interior defense and force Kentucky’s athletic but limited players to jack it up deep.

West Virginia’s offense shot 39 percent from the field and a decent 44 percent from the three-point area. Sure, they scored enough just to win the game but it was the Mountaineers defense that gave Kentucky problems. West Virginia also knocked down seven more free throws than Kentucky.

Duke vs West Virginia keys to the game

• Duke’s outside shooting needs to be on point because they have an inconsistent inside game.
• West Virginia’s tough defense will dictate the game.
• Scheyer and Smith has to come through for the Blue Devils.
• If Duke can’t get to the line to attempt free throws, they won’t beat West Virginia — a major problem considering the Mountaineers tight interior defense.

An upset is looming. Duke may not make it to the national finals.

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