Duke basketball: 3 keys to victory in the Final Four

Duke basketball is back in the Final Four for the first time since 2015.

The Blue Devils are headed to Mike Krzyzewski’s record-setting 13th Final Four after their 78-69 victory over Arkansas on Saturday in San Francisco.

The victory, Coach K’s 101st in the NCAA Tournament, was the last hurdle of the West Region, which Duke won for the first time in the legend’s 42-year tenure.

This run has been led by freshman standout Paolo Banchero, who was named the Most Outstanding Player in the region. Banchero, who finished with 16 points against Arkansas, was joined on the all-region team by Mark Williams and Jeremy Roach.

Duke’s trip to New Orleans this weekend will be highly anticipated as the Blue Devils are set to match up with bitter rival North Carolina, who punched its ticket after defeating 15-seed Saint Peter’s by a score of 69-49 on Sunday afternoon.

This matchup will be the first-ever between the rivals in the NCAA Tournament.

It will be the third matchup between the two squads this season. Duke dominated in an 87-67 victory in the first matchup in Chapel Hill, and UNC spoiled Coach K’s final home game with a 94-81 upset victory back on March 6.

The storylines of Coach K’s final season have only grown larger as the weeks go on, and none will be bigger than this weekend.