Three keys to a Duke win versus Houston in the Sweet 16

Duke’s methodical offense and ability to handle Houston’s air-tight ball-trapping defense defense is a major key to winning this game.

The time continues to dwindle as we get closer and closer to Duke tipping off in Dallas to take on the Houston Cougars for the right to move on to the Elite Eight.

Duke’s journey this year has been up and down, but after an unfortunate blip of back-to-back losses right before the NCAA Tournament started, the momentum did not seem to favor the Blue Devils.

Yet, here we are after Duke dominated the tournament’s first two games and cruised to Dallas. Things won’t be nearly as easy on Friday night against Houston. The Cougars are tough, physical, and tested. Two-way guard Jamal Shead, Houston’s star player, will be playing in his 15th NCAA Tournament game on Friday evening. Kelvin Sampson has had a terrific tenure coaching this program, and he brings years of NCAA Tournament experience.

Duke will have its hands full. However, Houston can be beat. With that said, here are three keys to a Duke win.

Quick decisions are essential.

Houston runs a highly effective defense predicated on trapping the ball in the pick-and-roll. It blitzes ball-handlers and forces them to make lightning-quick decisions and passes that many teams at the college level can’t make or are too slow to make, thus leading to turnovers and rushed offensive sets.

When you look at the Cougars’ defense, they are No. 2 in effective field goal percentage (44%), block rate (16.1%), and steal rate (15.5%). They are also within the top five in turnover percentage (24.7%) and 2-point defense (43.4 %) and they hold teams under 30 percent from three.

In other words, they are stout defensively. However, opponents have a shot if they can swing the ball and break the trap down off the dribble. Jeremy Roach has dominated the ball in the tournament thus far, sliding into a more conventional PG role like he did in the last few NCAA Tournaments. He must be decisive, make the right reads, and get the ball out so Duke can swing it, attack open gaps, or use numbers to their advantage when applicable.

If the ball sticks, Duke will be in trouble, generating offense. Luckily, Duke has found its rhythm in sharing the ball in the tournament. 22 assists on 33 made field goals against James Madison in the second round certainly helps. They may not make nearly as many baskets, but a similar ratio would likely mean they’ve been able to break down Houston’s defense.

Shoot, shoot, shoot

There are going to be plenty of 3-point opportunities available come Friday night. Duke needs to be ready to hit them. They shot the cover off the ball against JMU in their last game. Jared McCain had eight threes. It’s unlikely Houston will allow the number of open looks that JMU did, but for the ones they do, Duke has to cash in on them.

Per Synergy Sports, Houston is in the 98th percentile in spot-up points allowed per possession at an incredibly high rate (27% of defensive possessions.) In other words, McCain and Tyrese Proctor have to have good days like they did Sunday shooting the ball. The issue is that Houston plays such a hellacious defense that they will contest everything. Duke needs an inspired shooting performance like they had in the second round, or at least 40% in comparison to the 50% they were at against the Dukes.

Toughness wins

You would be hard-pressed to find a tougher team than the Houston Cougars. They play hard physically; if you are mentally and physically unprepared, things can spiral quickly. Duke’s knock this year is that they are soft. That has been the narrative all season long. Both games against UNC showcased that, as did their early loss to Arkansas.

Duke will be run out of the gym if it is not mentally and physically ready to battle this Houston team. In the aftermath of the JMU game, players and coaches talked about how the message preached was to throw the first punch. Come out and attack them. Set the tone on both court ends and let them know you’re here. That same message applies here.

Houston may not be nearly as dynamic offensively as the Tar Heels, but they are even better defensively, and both games against North Carolina did no favors for Duke. Duke is 18th in effective field-goal percentage. They can score with the best of them, but this is different. Duke hasn’t beaten a higher-ranked seed in 30 years. To win this game, they must showcase what they have been missing all year.

Duke and their Tobacco Road counterparts lead the way as ACC lands five teams in the tournament

Duke and the rest of the ACC ready to roll in NCAA Tournament.

Duke was never in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament, but in the last two weeks, they had the chance to solidify themselves as a No. 2 seed.

That didn’t come to fruition, however, as Duke lost to their rivals, UNC, on senior night and then to NC State in the quarterfinals of the 2024 ACC Tournament.

Those two teams met Saturday night in the ACC Championship game, and NC State pulled off an improbable win to cap off one of the most incredible ACC Tournament runs in the league’s illustrious history. They won five games in five days to punch an automatic ticket to the Big Dance.

All of the Tobacco Road schools are going dancing. UNC is the fourth No. 1 seed in the West region, while Duke is the fourth seed in the South region. NC State is an 11-seed in the South region with Duke.

Clemson and UVA made five teams for the ACC in this year’s tournament.

The ACC was unusually weak this year, with Louisville and Syracuse unable to live up to their usual standards. For stretches of the season, it looked like Duke and UNC were the only locks to make the tournament. Yet, when the dust settled, the ACC still found a way to produce five teams.

The ACC has had at least one team reach the Elite Eight in 34 of 38 tournaments and at least one Final Four team in 26 of 38 tournaments.

We will see which of this year’s ACC participants makes the most significant run.

Clemson advances to the Elite Eight following a PK thriller against Georgia

Clemson women’s soccer has advanced to the Elite Eight!

CLEMSON, S.C. – Megan Bornkamp netted the equalizer in the game’s 88th minute and Halle Mackiewicz recorded a clutch penalty save and No. 1 seed Clemson women’s soccer advanced past Georgia, 1-1 (5-3 PK) to earn a spot in the Elite Eight for the sixth time in school history and first time since 2020.

“I think you saw two very good teams today and this is what the NCAA Tournament is all about,” Head Coach Eddie Radwanski said. “We knew Georgia was going to be a formidable opponent and I thought we played really well today. This game is about taking chances, great response from our team with coinciding a goal so late and you just saw what the Clemson Tigers are all about. They dug down, they never gave up, reached deep inside and found a way to make it happen. I’m just impressed with our kids’ resiliency and the fact that they wanted to win, they wanted to advance and sometimes you have to do whatever it takes.”

Both teams started the match off strong as the Tigers and the Bulldogs impressed both offensively and defensively in the first half. Clemson’s back line allowed zero shots on goal for Georgia as goalkeeper Halle Mackiewicz remained tough in the box.

In the second half, Clemson and Georgia continued to battle as both teams worked hard to find the back of the net. At the ‘83, Georgia’s Croix Bethune found a scoring opportunity as she netted one in to give the Bulldogs the 1-0 advantage.

As the clock continued to run, the Tigers tried to find opportunities to score and even the score. With three minutes left in the match, Bornkamp was able to find possession of the ball as she shot the ball towards the net and the Georgia keeper stepped out to try and save it but ultimately missed the ball. Bornkamp moved around the keeper and shot the ball to the empty net and evened the score, 1-1.

Both teams had chances in each of the two overtime periods, with Georgia taking two shots in the first and Clemson two in the second. Makenna Morris nearly ended the game in the 110’, but her shot was saved by Georgia’s keeper to send the game to penalty kicks.

In penalty kicks, the teams traded makes in their first three attempts. Renee Lyles sent one past the Georgia keeper on Clemson’s fourth attempt, before Mackiewicz made the key save on Georgia’s attempt to put the Tigers up by one. Sami Meredith then sent home Clemson’s final attempt to give Clemson the 5-3 penalty win.

Up next , the Tigers will host No. 2 seed Penn State at Historic Riggs Field next Saturday, November 25, at 1:00 p.m. Tickets can be found at this link.

– Via Clemson Athletic Communications 

Notre Dame, South Carolina will begin 2023-24 season in Paris

Brush up on your French before November.

When Notre Dame was eliminated in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, it lost the chance to play South Carolina in the Elite Eight. The Irish won’t have to wait long to learn what might have happened. To tip off the 2023-24 season, they will meet the Gamecocks on Nov. 6 in Paris. It will be the first college basketball game played there for either men or women, and it will mark the Irish’s first game outside North America.

As you can imagine, [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] is absolutely thrilled with this news:

This will be the second straight season in which the Irish are part of a historic first. When they met California in St. Louis last season, it was the first women’s college basketball game to be broadcast on NBC. Now, they’ll showcase their skills aboard at a time when women’s basketball is soaring in popularity. Whatever the outcome of this game is, everyone already is a winner.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Final 2022-23 ACC women’s basketball leaders

Here’s the best the ACC had to offer in the major statistical categories this season.

With Virginia Tech’s loss in the Final Four, the 2022-23 ACC season is complete. It was quite the successful season for the conference as it boasted many of the best teams and players in the country. Notre Dame made it to the Sweet 16. Miami and Louisville got as far as the Elite Eight. And let’s not discount Duke, Florida State or North Carolina, all of whom made the NCAA Tournament. Whichever program you chose to follow, chances are you wouldn’t be disappointed the quality of basketball.

Now that we’ve paid tribute to the best teams, let’s look at the players who were the best in the major statistical categories during the season. Not every player on the list represented a top conference team, but their presence alone made even the most abysmal conference games worth watching. Next year’s conference players will have a lot to live up to following in the footsteps of these ladies. Heck, some of them could be back on this list at the end of next season:

Texas’ five-star signees react to Rodney Terry landing the head coaching job

Five-star signees Ron Holland and AJ Johnson are happy to see Terry get the job.

Texas officials removed the interim tag from Rodney Terry’s name on Monday, making him the 26th head coach in Texas basketball history.

Terry signed a five-year deal to take over the Longhorns program.

Five-star signees Ron Holland and AJ Johnson are happy to see Terry get the job. Holland told the media at the McDonald’s All-American game how excited he is for Coach Terry.

“Just knowing how hard he had those guys playing and he really deserves that job. Just to see him reach that goal and for them to give him the opportunity to continue to coach that team, it’s a really good feeling for me because I get to stay committed to that team. Me and AJ Johnson, we get to go try get us a national championship next year.”

Johnson spoke with On3 Sports about his feelings on Terry earning the head coaching title.

“I feel really good about that. He’s a really good coach. I had a relationship with him before Beard. Coach Terry and I have a very good relationship. It definitely helps me a lot.”

Terry is looking to build off Texas’ great season that featured a conference tournament title and Elite Eight run. Keeping its two coveted five-star signees in the fold is a big first step for Terry and company.

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Texas interim coach Rodney Terry was moved to tears talking about how much he loved his team

Texas interim coach Rodney Terry clearly loves his team.

Texas interim head coach Rodney Terry became overwhelmed with emotion when he talked about how much it meant to him to coach this group of Longhorns.

After No. 2 Texas lost to No. 5 Miami, 88-81, on Sunday in the 2023 men’s NCAA tournament’s Elite Eight, Terry poured out his heart while talking about his love for this year’s Texas squad.

After taking over the program in December following the suspension and eventual firing of Chris Beard, Terry guided the Longhorns to a Big 12 title and to the Elite Eight of this year’s tournament. It was the school’s first Elite Eight berth since 2008.

It is currently unknown if Terry will assume permanent duties over the program, and he made sure during the postgame press conference to talk about how much he loved his players.

“I’m gonna love them for the rest of their lives,” an emotional Terry said after the game. “I’ll be at their weddings. I’ll be, you know, talking to those guys when they have their first born.”

Per KHOU-TV reporter Daniel Gotera, Texas guard Sir’Jabari Rice expressed his support for Terry being named the Longhorns’ permanent coach.

San Antonio Express-News columnist Mike Finger reported Terry’s comments on his future with the school and if the coach expects this will be known soon.

San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher did a celebratory trust fall after punching ticket to Final Four

When you’re a coach and you make the Final Four, you do a trust fall into the arms of your players.

After his team punched a ticket to the 2023 men’s NCAA tournament Final Four, San Diego State head coach Brian Dutcher decided to put ultimate faith in his guys yet again.

This time, it came on a trust fall after cutting down the nets for winning the South Region.

Indeed, Dutcher’s SDSU topped Creighton, 57-56, in Sunday’s Elite Eight game to grab one of the spots in this year’s Final Four.

It’s the school’s very first Final Four appearance, one that came with plenty of drama during its nail-biting finish.

Dutcher trusted his team to close things out when the game went down to the wire, and he trusted his players to catch him as he fell into their arms off the ladder he went up to cut down the net.

Dutcher threw his hands up and fell backwards into the arms of his players, who caught their coach and cheered their coach on during the postgame celebration.

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Historic: San Diego State edges Creighton for first-ever Final Four appearance

Check out these images from the San Diego State-Creighton Elite Eight matchup.

It was a game that might be best remembered for the foul call as time was expiring in the second half, but the San Diego State Aztecs are heading to the Final Four for the first time in program history.

As the clock was inching towards 0.0 Aztec guard Darrion Trammell drove into the paint and his floater hit the front of the rim and fell to the floor. We all thought this game was heading to overtime but the referee called a foul on Russell Nembhard. They would put 1.2 seconds on the clock and Trammell went to the line hitting his second free throw attempt after missing the first.

The Aztecs led 57-56 with just 1.2 seconds left allowing them one desperation heave to the other end of the court in hopes of the buzzer-beating victory. Baylor Scheierman, a former high school quarterback, threw the ball to the other end where San Diego State’s Aguek Arop deflected the ball aimed for Arthur Kaluma and the ball went out of bounds on the end line. We awaited the referee’s review believing that they would be given at least 0.2 seconds on the clock. However, the referees waived it off, and the game ended in thrilling fashion for one team and complete heartbreak for another.

The Aztecs will face an unlikely foe in the Florida Atlantic Owls, who were able to thwart the No. 3 Kansas State Wildcats.

Check out these images from the Aztecs’ Elite Eight victory.

Brothers Adam Seiko and Arthur Kaluma shared a sweet hug after San Diego State topped Creighton in the Elite Eight

San Diego State’s Adam Seiko and Creighton’s Arthur Kaluma shared a sweet hug after the Elite Eight game.

San Diego State senior guard Adam Seiko and Creighton sophomore guard Arthur Kaluma shared a hug after a hard-fought Elite Eight game between their two teams.

The two siblings have now faced off in two March Madness games, but Seiko’s team defeating Kaluma’s team this year didn’t stop a really sweet moment of brotherly love after the contest.

Seiko’s San Diego State topped Kaluma’s Creighton, 57-56, on Sunday with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

It’s the first time in SDSU history that the school has made the prestigious final ranking of men’s NCAA tournament teams.

However, family always comes first, as Seiko and Kaluma didn’t miss out an opportunity to support each other after the final horn.

That’s a really cool moment between two siblings and excellent college basketball players who found themselves in quite a moment.

After Kaluma’s Creighton got to advance past Seiko’s SDSU last year in the tournament’s first round, it’s now Seiko’s turn to have Kaluma cheering him on in the stands.

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