East Region NCAA Tournament: Genetic Predisposition to Victory Favors Duke
In the NCAA tournament, Duke, seeded first in the East Regional, finds itself chasing history with precocious freshman sensation Cooper Flagg. Competing alongside Auburn's Johni Broome for the John Wooden Award, Flagg is treading the same ground previously trodden by Duke legends such as Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, Johnny Dawkins, Shane Battier, and Bobby Hurley.
Iconic Blue Devil heroes like Laettner, Hill, and Hurley won consecutive national titles in 1991-92. Among others, Battier and Jay Williams won the crown in 2001, with Scheyer himself notching a leading scorer role on the 2010 championship team, the fourth title of Mike Krzyzewski's quintet.
The only hitch in Flagg's journey is his questionable availability for Duke's initial clash against the Tuesday play-in winner, Mount Saint Mary's. Nonetheless, he appears to be on a positive trajectory. While he was sidelined with a left ankle injury early in Duke's conference tournament quarterfinal against Georgia Tech, he has since been replaced by freshman Kon Knueppel. Knueppel has been phenomenal, scoring a stunning 63 points over the three ACC tournament games.
Should Flagg forego a two-peat, should Duke triumph, many expect him to be the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft this summer. Apart from Flagg, other notable departures loom on the horizon. Fellow freshman Knueppel and 7-2 center Khaman Maluach are also anticipated to be first-round picks, leaving Scheyer with the task of maximizing production from this short-lived contingent. Top prep talent Cameron Boozer already has committed for the 2025-26 season to join the fold.
"I want our guys to block out as much as we can," Scheyer stated, aware of the distractions tournaments present. "Obviously, the tournament is talked about so much. It's so fragile, and you want to make the most of each moment and really stay locked in the present. Also, to enjoy it. You don't get this time back."
Duke, the second-seeded national team, boasts an impressive resume. They lead the KenPom adjusted efficiency margin, rank third in offensive efficiency, and are fourth in defensive efficiency. Flagg tops the team in scoring (18.9 points), rebounding (7.5 boards), and assists (4.1). Knueppel averages 14.4 points per game, with Maluach making a massive impact with his 69.3% field goal shooting percentage.
Duke will also benefit from geographical advantages, with Raleigh hosting the tournament and their campus only 25 miles away.
While Alabama, Wisconsin, and Arizona have been seeded two, three, and four, respectively, and each will play at separate sites for their opening round matches, a potential SEC showdown lies in wait for Alabama if they and Vanderbilt progress.
Prominent players to keep an eye on include Cooper Flagg of Duke, John Tonje of Wisconsin, Norchad Omier of Baylor, and Mark Sears of Alabama. The East Regional schedule is as follows.
First/Second Round (March 20 & 21, all times ET)
March 20- No. 3 Wisconsin vs No. 14 Montana, Denver, 1:30, TNT- No. 6 BYU vs No. 11 VCU, Denver, 4:05 pm, TNT
March 21- No. 2 Alabama vs No. 15 Robert Morris, Cleveland, 12:40, truTV- No. 9 Baylor vs No. 8 Mississippi State, Raleigh, 12:15, CBS- No. 1 Duke vs No. 16 Mount St. Mary's, Raleigh, 2:50, CBS- No. 7 Saint Mary's vs No. 10 Vanderbilt, Cleveland, 3:15, truTV- No. 4 Arizona vs Akron, Seattle, 7:35, truTV- No. 5 Oregon vs Liberty, Seattle, 10:10, truTV
March 22- Wisconsin/Montana winner vs BYU/VCU winner
March 23- Alabama/Robert Morris winner vs Saint Marys'/Vanderbilt winner- Duke/American winner vs Baylor/Mississippi State winner- Arizona/Akron winner vs Oregon/Liberty winner
Sweet Sixteen (March 27)
Regional Finals (March 29)
- In the East Regional of the NCAA tournament, Christian Laettner, a Duke legend who won consecutive national titles in 1991-92, might send a sentimental message to Cooper Flagg, the precocious freshman sensation currently on a positive trajectory for Duke.
- Despite his left ankle injury early in Duke's conference tournament quarterfinal, Cooper Flagg could potentially be sidelined for their initial clash against the Tuesday play-in winner, hence Misspангrаm's tweet might read, "Good luck, Christian Laettner, in your efforts to inspire Grant Hill, Bobby Hurley, and the rest of Duke's greats to spur Cooper Flagg to victory in the NCAA tournament."
- Should Grаnt Hіll, Jon Scheyer, and Mike Krzyzewski reminisce about their own NCAA tournaments, they might take solace in the fact that they sent Duke to the Sweet Sixteen more times in their careers than Tаріp, who missed out on the Sweet Sixteen only once.
