The NCAA Final Four does not offer a lot of surprises considering it consists of three No. 1 seeds. Kentucky, Duke and Wisconsin were all favored at the beginning of the tournament and have met those expectations and more. Michigan State was not one of those teams predicted to go this far. Entering the tournament as a No. 7 seed, the Spartans were a wild card that continued to surprise people. Now they have another chance to do just that as the face the Duke Blue Devils for a chance to go to the championship game.
Most sports writers have pegged the Blue Devils to top the Spartans likely because of their roster depth and experience. However, some believe the underdog could win out as the Spartans have all the right momentum heading into this big matchup. The Blue Devils certainly come locked and loaded with plenty of scoring weapons. If Michigan State has a shot at winning this battle, they must play their best defensive game while limiting the amount of turnovers their offense puts up.
Duke will ride their x-factor and potential No. 1 draft pick, Jahlil Okafor in this game. This is an opportunity for the star to really prove what he is capable of and overcoming the Michigan State defense could secure his draft status. Duke's game plan will be easy as the put Okafor in the post with shooters around him. The issue for Okafor will be fouls. The first time he faced Michigan State, he went 8 of 10 shooting, but struggled with foul trouble as he draws 5.4 fouls per 40 minutes. Tyus Jones will make sure he takes care of the ball has he is shooting 43.8 percent from long range. The starters will need to carry the load as Duke's bench has not played more than 10 minutes per game.
The Spartans must be perfect on defense to beat Duke. Their style of play certainly lends well to this type of game as they do not allow many 3-point shots and have the ability to get opponents into bad shooting rhythms. However, the Spartans could get into a hole offensively if they cannot shoot the 3-ball well as Duke limits opponents to just 31.2 percent shooting from long range. Travis Trice will need to get to the rim while helping Denzel Valentine finish shots.
The Spartans are hoping to shock the tournament once again and get a key win over Duke to reach the championship game. The Blue Devils have appeared unstoppable up until now and will use their shooting weapons to remain that way. If the Spartans can put up a great defensive effort, they have a shot at beating Duke and meeting either Kentucky or Wisconsin in the final game.
