All eyes are on the Duke Blue Devils and Jon Scheyer, as the push for a national title begins now. Things will start off with a dance against No. 16 Siena, as Gerry McNamara and his players are hoping to pull off an upset - we don't see it happening.
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Despite that, things have been made a bit complicated for Duke due to injuries. That's right, Caleb Foster is still out due to a broken bone in his foot and a new photo of his injury makes it seem like a long shot he'll return at all this postseason.
The same can't be said for Patrick Ngongba, who is slowly but surely working his way back. While there's extra hope he can return soon, we know for sure that he won't be in action against Siena. Could he be ready by the second round or Sweet Sixteen? That's totally up in the air.
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With Ngongba out, plenty of eyes are going to be on Maliq Brown, as he's done some fantastic work with the extra playing time he's getting. With Foster out, it of course means that 5-star freshman Cayden Boozer is going to be a bit of a floor general and take over at point guard.
Boozer has looked much stronger in recent games and he's going to have to keep delivering with the NCAA Tournament getting underway. Luckily for him, his brother Cameron is a bonafide superstar for the Blue Devils and he's also one of the best players in the country.
Duke is a massive favorite against Siena and the expectation is that Scheyer and Co. are going to cruise to a win. Still, it's not Round 1 that people are most worried about, as Duke has a gauntlet of a bracket and not being at full health stings.
The ACC champs should be able to get through this weekend with no major problems, but once the Sweet Sixteen gets here, this team will need Ngongba out on the hardwood. If he's still out, it could truly make an impact in Duke pushing for a natty. The Blue Devils are being careful with Ngongba and sitting him vs. Siena is the right call. Could he return next week, though? Keep your fingers crossed.