Syracuse may be the biggest surprise of the Sweet 16 considering they were the last team invited in. The Orange have battled through a close four-point win over Arizona State in the First Four, a five-point win over TCU in the opening round, and a huge two-point win over Michigan State. Just like their Final Four run in 2016, this late-season success makes little sense.
Syracuse vs. Duke live stream: Time, TV channel, how to watch March Madness 2018 online
Can the Orange make another magical (and unexplainable) run to the Final Four?
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
They’re up against their strongest competition to date though, with the No. 2 seed Duke Blue Devils. Unlike Syracuse, Duke has steamrolled opponents. In the opening round, the Blue Devils beat Iona by 22 points, and in the second round, beat Rhode Island by 25.
Nobody can contain Duke’s best player, Marvin Bagley III, who’s destined for the NBA Draft lottery. In two tournament games, he’s averaging 22 points and eight rebounds, and has made 18 out of the 24 shots he’s attempted.
Syracuse and its zone defense has the No. 5 ranking in the country, according to KenPom, and it may have the length to limit him. Paschal Chukwu is ‘Cuse’s 7’2 center who averages 2.5 blocks per game. He anchors the Orange’s defense, and Bagley should be his focus.
On the offensive end is where Syracuse really struggles, though. They’ll need a big game from Tyus Battle, the guard who leads the team in scoring at 19 points per game. He’ll have a tough matchup against a much improved Duke defense that’s been reborn under a 2-3 zone of its own. The length of the many future NBA products in Coach K’s unit has really worked.
Duke is the favorite to win this one, though ‘Cuse has won all of its games as the underdog. Our Ricky O’Donnell gives Duke the second-best chances to win the entire NCAA tournament, though the Orange have proven to not be an easy out.
Sweet 16: Duke vs. Syracuse
Date: March 23
time: 9:37 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Live Stream: March Madness Live
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