Potential Elite Eight matchup for Duke and Jon Scheyer is already terrifying on paper

The Duke Blue Devils' region of the bracket is as hard as it gets, literally. It has some of the highest-ranked teams in the court, and Jon Scheyer's squad is going to have to take down some beasts to make its way back to the Final Four.

With that being said, the first-round matchup against the Siena Saints should be a breeze, and the two rounds after that aren't too scary for the Blue Devils to be able to get through.

The Elite Eight, however, could be a different story. If the top seeds win out through the first three rounds, Duke would have to face none other than the UConn Huskies. Yes, the team that won two of the last three National Championships.

Duke and UConn in Elite 8 could spell trouble for Blue Devils

Now, don't hit the panic button quite yet. Dan Hurley's Huskies aren't quite at the caliber that the UConn squads were in 2024 and 2023. However, they were still ranked No. 7 in the latest Coaches Poll, and they're entering the NCAA Tournament with an impressive 29-5 overall record.

In other words, while Scheyer has to get his team ready for its matchups in the First Round, Second Round, and Sweet 16, the Blue Devils have to do a little forward thinking and prepare to slay the giant that UConn has become over the last few years.

Fans aren't happy with Duke's path to the Final Four, but they may need to start worrying a little bit before then with the Huskies on the horizon.

All of this is to say that Duke is favored to make it back to the Final Four. In fact, the Blue Devils are favored to make an appearance in the National Championship for the first time since Scheyer took over as head coach. However, there is a rocky road ahead of them.

Duke's likely matchups in NCAA Tournament

• First round: No. 16 Siena Saints
• Second Round: No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes or No. 9 TCU Horned Frogs
• Sweet 16: No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks or No. 5 St. John's Red Storm
• Elite Eight: No. 2 UConn Huskies, No. 3 Michigan State Spartans, or No. 6 Louisville Cardinals

The Blue Devils could have a rematch from the regular season in the Sweet 16 if the Kansas Jayhawks make their way through the tournament, and could actually have another rematch in the Elite Eight if the Michigan State Spartans beat UConn.

All of this will start on Thursday, March 19, when Duke and Siena tip off at 2:50 p.m. ET to determine who will move on to the Second Round. The game will be broadcast on CBS.