No. 1 Duke had no problems with No. 16 Hampton in its 2011 NCAA Tournament opener, winning in a blowout, 87-45. The Blue Devils put on a clinic to No. 1 seeds on how to handle a lowly team like Hampton, racing ahead early and never letting the Pirates get into the game. But the bigger news was the return of point guard Kyrie Irving from injury.
NCAA Bracket Update: Kyrie Irving Returns As Duke Blows Out Hampton
Irving certainly looked a bit rusty, but his return from a toe injury in December went far better than most could have expected. He ended with 14 points on 4-8 shooting, to go along with four rebounds and two steals. Sure, it was Hampton, but it’s still a significant return that makes Duke that much scarier. Andre Dawkins added 13 for the Blue Devils, while no Hampton players scored in double figures.
For more on this game, visit Duke Basketball Report.
Here’s the updated look at the West region of the 2011 NCAA Tournament bracket.
No. 1 Duke def. No. 16 Hampton, 87-75; will face Michigan.
No. 8 Michigan def. No. 9 Tennessee, 75-45, will face Duke.
No. 5 Arizona def. No. 12 Memphis, 77-75, will face Texas.
No. 4 Texas def. No. 13 Oakland, 85-81, will face Arizona
No. 2 San Diego State defeats No. 15 Northern Colorado, 68-50; will face Temple
No. 7 Temple defeats No. 10 Penn State, 66-64; will face San Diego State
No. 3 UConn def. No. 14 Bucknell, 81-52, will face Cincinnati.
No. 6 Cincinnati def. No. 11 Missouri, 78-63; will face Connecticut.
March Madness resources: Printable 2011 NCAA Tournament bracket ... Full 2011 NCAA Tournament schedule.
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