Duke-Baylor, 5:05 P.M.: Bears Stand In Way Of Blue Devils’ First Final Four Since ‘04

Preview by Chris Dobbertean of Blogging the Bracket.

South Region Final: No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 1 Duke, 5:05 p.m. ET (Jim Nantz/Clark Kellogg)

Duke is the last top seed alive. If Baylor can defeat them, we’ll have our first Final Four lacking a No. 1 since the 2006 event, also held in Indianapolis.

Our Blue Devil blog, Duke Basketball Report, writes its game preview, that Duke’s size and three-point defense could cause the Bears problems. DBR breaks down how Baylor did against each of their three Tournament opponents, and the second round game against Old Dominion, a team with size, stuck out to me.

Against Old Dominion, the Monarchs beat Baylor on the boards, 29-28, and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds to Baylor’s nine. Baylor shot 44.1% for the game.

Baylor shot 51.9% to ODU’s 43.4%. They had 13 turnovers, and Udoh had two blocks.

After Baylor used some hot three-point shooting to build a lead on St. Mary’s Friday night (the Bears were 8-17 on the night), Duke’s perimeter defense will be another important factor this afternoon.

If Duke’s perimeter defense holds up and their own three-point shooters get going, the Blue Devils could be on their way to Indy. Baylor simply has problems with teams who match up well with them. My pick is Duke in another close one. The winner faces West Virginia in the other semifinal.