Ball Durham
Fansided

Duke Blue Devils Second Round Preview

By Chris Brown

Mar 17, 2017; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Jayson Tatum (0) dunks the ball during the first half against the Troy Trojans in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2017; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Jayson Tatum (0) dunks the ball during the first half against the Troy Trojans in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

What will the Blue Devils need to do to beat South Carolina and advance to the Sweet Sixteen in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament this year?

Duke excelled in their NCAA Tournament opener against Troy to beat the Trojans 87-65. The Blue Devils had huge contributions from Grayson Allen and Jayson Tatum. They will face a more difficult test in the second round, facing South Carolina out of the SEC. Here is our scouting report for the Gamecocks and our keys for Duke Basketball:

Must Read: Ball Durham Previews NCAA Tournament

How they got here

South Carolina earned the 7-seed in the East after going 23-10 and finishing 4th in the Southeastern Conference. The Gamecocks started hot with early wins over Syracuse and Michigan, but struggled late play losing 5 of their last 8 regular season games and falling in the first round of the SEC Tournament. However, they are coming off a 93-73 win in the first round against Marquette. The Gamecocks used a huge second half to blow past the Golden Eagles and win their first NCAA Tournament game since 1973. South Carolina will also have a major home court advantage in Greenville, putting Duke in an unusual situation.

Key Players 

Sindarius Thornwell: The senior guard was named the SEC player of the year after an excellent season for the Gamecocks. Thornwell averaged 21.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game against South Carolina. He led SC to a win over Marquette with a double-double scoring 29 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Coach K regards him as the “best unheralded great player in the United States“.

PJ Dozier: Dozier has starred in his sophomore season for South Carolina. He’s having a career year and is projected to be a first round pick in the NBA Draft this year. The 6-6 guard is averaging 13.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He added 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in the Gamecocks’ first round NCAA Tournament victory.

Keys for Duke

Limit South Carolina’s guards: Thornwell, Dozier, and senior Duane Notice provide a large majority of the offense. The three starting guards for SC combined for 60 of the team’s 93 points against Marquette in the first round. Duke has struggled defending athletic guards throughout the season, and will face three who are very talented and can score in a variety of ways. The Blue Devils will need defensive discipline and communication in order to get stops and limit the backcourt for South Carolina.

Continue excelling on offense: South Carolina is a talented team defensively, holding opponents to just under 65 points a game. On the other hand, Duke averages over 80 points per game. If the Blue Devils are able to continue their recent offensive success playing through Allen, Tatum, Luke Kennard, and Frank Jackson, then they will have a great chance of winning and advancing. Duke overcame a cold shooting night from Kennard against Troy, but will need him to make a bigger impact against the Gamecocks.

Next: Dick Vitale Previews 2017 NCAA Tournament With FanSided

Duke and South Carolina will face off on Sunday evening for a chance to advance to the Sweet 16. The game will be televised on TNT starting at 8:40 pm. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski will be looking to add to his record 24 appearances in the NCAA Tournament regional with a win against the Gamecocks.

Home/Duke Basketball