“Should we get Gonzaga-Duke Round 2, it will again be must-watch stuff” - Jeremy Woo believes Coach K’s impending retirement makes a potential Gonzaga-Duke Elite 8 matchup fascinating
Duke Blue Devils forward Paolo Banchero and Gonzaga Bulldogs big man Chet Holmgren have been two of college basketball's most exciting players. The two freshmen have dazzled fans and are expected to be selected in the top four of the NBA draft.
After a much-hyped showdown in November that saw both shine, Banchero and Holmgren are one win away from a rematch in the Elite Eight.
NBA draft analyst Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated said this about the prospect of the NCAA Tournament clash Saturday:
“Should we get Gonzaga-Duke Round 2, it will again be must-watch stuff.”
New column @TheCrossover taking stock of what’s to come in the NCAA tourney this weekend, including notes on a dominant Jaden Ivey, a potential Holmgren/Banchero rematch and more: si.com/nba/2022/03/24…
Gonzaga and Duke are one win from a potential rematch
While the basketball world awaits with anticipation for a rematch involving Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren, both teams face challenging hurdles Thursday.
Gonzaga (28-3), the tournament's No. 1 overall seed, and Arkansas (27-8), the No. 4 seed in the West, meet in one West semifinal Thursday in San Francisco, California. Duke (30-6), the No. 2 seed, takes on No. 3 seed Texas Tech (27-9) in the other semifinal.
The region is the only one in which all four top seeds reached the Sweet 16. All four were ranked in the final poll of the season: No. 1 Gonzaga, No. 9 Duke, No. 12 Texas Tech and No. 17 Arkansas.
Gonzaga is set to face an underrated Arkansas Razorbacks team. The Bulldogs have yet to put together a full game so far in the tournament. After struggling in the first half of both of their games, Holmgren and Gonzaga will need to put together a complete game in order to move on.
Big-time 1 on 1 defense from Paolo Banchero here. Between that stop and the euro, go-ahead finish, some huge plays in crunch time for Banchero. Spot 3s, pull ups, turnarounds, playmaking, downhill attacks. Still some things to clean up but Banchero showed a lot of the bag today. https://t.co/0uYhbFKRTz
One of the biggest Sweet 16 games will be Banchero and the Duke Blue Devils going up against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
While the Blue Devils have one of the country's most talented rosters, they may face their biggest test yet. They'll face a vicious Texas Tech defense, one of college basketball's best.
Duke is trying to extend the final tournament run for legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Duke beat Gonzaga 84-81 on Nov. 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Banchero had 21 points and five rebounds, while Holmgren had 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. The Blue Devils closed the game with a 13-9 run. Gonzaga had 17 turnovers.