Duke Faces Toughest Test Yet Against Utah In Sweet Sixteen

Duke has looked very impressive in their first two games of the NCAA Tournament so far, but on Friday night they will face their toughest test yet when they take on Utah in the Sweet Sixteen.

Utah came into the tournament on a bit of a cold streak, having lost four of their last seven games. Before that little cold streak, Utah was 21-4 and looking like a legitimate Final Four contender. In their first two tournament games Utah has looked like that Final Four contender once again.

When the bracket came out one of the trendy upset picks was Stephen F. Austin beating Utah in the first round. Utah was able to get passed the veteran Lumberjack squad, and then made relatively easy work of Georgetown in the round of 32. Utah’s confidence has to be at an all-time high now as they are about to take on the number one seed in the South region, Duke.

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Utah has one of the best players in the nation in Delon Wright. He is the brother of NBA player Dorell Wright, and his game might be just as good. Wright is averaging 15 points per game while shooting 53 percent from the field, which is great for a guard. His 37 percent clip from three point range is nothing to scoff at either.

Along with Wright the Utes also have seven foot freshman Jakob Poeltl, who averages almost two blocks per game and will undoubtedly be tasked with taking on Jahlil Okafor. Poeltl is one of the few players in the nation who can match Okafor’s size and strength and should be able to take him one-on-one.

Poeltl’s ability to guard Okafor one-on-one will be a huge factor in the game. If he can somehow limit Okafor while his teammates are able to stay on their assignments, Duke won’t be able to get the wide open threes they are used to from the attention Okafor garners.

Utah is a team that is good at both ends of the floor. They allow the ninth fewest points per game in the nation at 56.9, while scoring 72 a game themselves. The Utes are also 13th in the nation with their 49 percent clip as a team from the field.

Utah is the better of the two teams defensively, even though Duke played great defense against San Diego State, but Duke has the significant edge on offense. Utah has yet to face an offense like Duke’s that has so many different weapons at its disposal.

Duke will be the favorite come Friday night, and rightfully so, but this game will not be an easy one for the Blue Devils. Utah is a well balanced team with a star player, and that is usually a good recipe for success in the NCAA Tournament. This Sweet Sixteen matchup will show whether Duke is ready for a Championship run, and if they are not they will likely be sent packing, because Utah is the real deal and Duke will need to be at their best to beat them.

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