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Duke NCAA Tournament First Round Preview

By Chris Brown

Jan 30, 2017; South Bend, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Matt Jones (13) guard Grayson Allen (3) and forward Amile Jefferson (21) take the court in the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at the Purcell Pavilion. Duke won 84-74. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 30, 2017; South Bend, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Matt Jones (13) guard Grayson Allen (3) and forward Amile Jefferson (21) take the court in the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at the Purcell Pavilion. Duke won 84-74. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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What will the Blue Devils need to do to succeed against Troy in their NCAA Tournament opener and advance to the second round?

Duke Men’s Basketball will take on Troy tomorrow night at 7:20 in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Check out our scouting report of the Troy Trojans and preview of the Blue Devils’ tournament opener below:

Must Read: Check Out Ball Durham's NCAA Tournament Preview

How they got here

Similar to the Blue Devils, Troy had an up-and-down regular season and started playing their best basketball towards the end of the year and conference tournament. The Trojans are on a six-game winning streak and won the Sun Belt conference title as the 6th seed to receive an automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament making their first appearance since 2003.

Key Players 

Jordan Varnado: The Trojans are led by sophomore forward Jordan Varnado, who is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder averaging 16.5 points and 7.1 boards per game. He’s coming off a dominant double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds in the Sun Belt title game.

Wesley Person, Jr.: Junior guard Wesley Person, Jr. is the primary three-point threat for the Trojans. The 6-3 guard is averaging 14.8 points per game this season while shooting 40% from beyond the arc. He also earned MVP honors for the Sun Belt conference tournament after setting the record for most threes in the tourney. Additionally, Person is taking aim at Duke and guard Grayson Allen.

Keys for Duke

Dominate in the Paint: While Varnado has had an excellent season at forward for the Trojans, he is only 6-6. The tallest player on Troy’s roster is listed at 6-8. Even though Duke normally plays small  compared to other teams starting Jayson Tatum at power forward, he is as tall as the biggest players for Troy. The Blue Devils will have a major size advantage against the Trojans with Tatum, Amile Jefferson, and Harry Giles. The Duke bigs will need to excel on the rebounds and score in the paint.

Get rest for players: One of the main goals for Duke should be to get rest for their main players to save them for later in the tournament. Mike Krzyzewski has been using a short 7 man rotation plus Marques Bolden sometimes. Duke’s injury issues are well known, with only two Blue Devils appearing in every game. Grayson Allen and Amile Jefferson have been playing through lingering injuries, and Coach K notes the team limits practice to keep players fresh. The team will need to play well and excel early to preserve players for later rounds to push for the title.

Next: Dick Vitale Previews 2017 NCAA Tournament With FanSided

After winning the ACC Tournament title, the Blue Devils are back to one of the favorites to win the national championship. Duke Basketball will start competition for their sixth NCAA title in their first-ever game against Troy in the first round Friday night.

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