"They have a legitimate chance to win the national championship": $4m worth Jay Williams names biggest obstacle in Duke's path to win March Madness
Duke is set to square off against No. 1 Houston in the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The No. 4 Blue Devils (26-8) saw off Vermont in the first and JMU in the second round to set up a date with the Cougars (32-4), who defeated Longwood and Texas A&M to reach this stage.
This is undoubtedly the Blue Devils’ biggest test of the tournament, and analyst Jay Williams believes it has significance for their title hope. Speaking on ESPN’s “Get Up,” the DU alum, who has a net worth of $4 million per Celebrity Net Worth, wore a Blue Devils jacket on the set Monday morning and said the team had a real shot at the national championship if it could get past Houston.
“This Duke team played their best game last night against JMU," Williams said. "It's the most mature I've seen them thus far. But they haven't faced a team with the maturity level of Houston. We will see how they match up with it. If Duke is able to win that game, they have a legitimate chance to win the national championship.”
Jay Williams believes Houston is the more mature team
Houston is undoubtedly the favorite for the Sweet 16 encounter, and Jay Williams is aware of this. While he gives Duke a chance at the national title, the analyst recognizes the giant stride of the Kelvin Sampson-coached team nationally and why they have the edge in the matchup.
“Houston is one of these teams that are used to living in the trenches," Williams said. "They won the best defensive team in the country, they won the best offensive rebound team in the country. They know who they are. They are the older team.”
The Cougars have been impressive this season, showcasing their brilliance in what is their first season in the Big 12. They won the conference regular season title and made it all the way to the Big 12 Tournament championship game, where they lost to Iowa State.
When was the last time Duke won the national championship?
Duke’s last national championship title came in 2015. In their 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament championship game, the Blue Devils defeated the Wisconsin Badgers 68-61 to claim their fifth national championship title.
The program clinched five national championship titles in 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010 and 2015. It’s worth noting that all five championships came under coach Mike Krzyzewski, who led the program for more than four decades. He also had 13 appearances in the Final Four.
The Blue Devils are looking to secure their first national championship in the post-Krzyzewski era, and 2024 might just be that year.