Once again I will be giving some of my thoughts on the NCAA tournament as it unfolds.
1. Is Duke vulnerable?
Now Duke was never in much danger of losing to a North Dakota State but they were playing from behind for much of the 1st half. Now UNC and UVA also had their problems in the 1st half of their respective 1st round games so maybe it could just be chalked up to early tourney jitters. What happened in the 2nd round is a different story however, they got taken to the limit by UCF. I don't want to denigrate UCF, they are a good team with talented players. Tacko Fall is a great rim protector and Aubrey Dawkins is the best coaches son in college basketball, no offense to Buddy Boeheim. However, looking at talent level alone Duke has a major advantage. Like seemly every one-and-done team this years Duke squad is very talented but very flawed. For example, last years Duke team was forced to play zone because of how much Marvin Bagley and Wendell Carter struggled defending the pick-and-roll. This years team struggles to score from outside, UCF was able to exploit this by planting Fall in the paint and daring Tre Jones or Goldwater to make open threes. It should be interesting to see if their opponents in the coming rounds can take advantage of what UCF couldn't.
2. Will Gonzaga be able redeem themselves?
Once again the Zags find themselves against Florida State with the Elite Eight on the line. Last season the Seminoles smothered the Bulldogs with length and athleticism. Gonzaga, however, has two things they lacked last year: Killian Tillie and Brandon Clarke. These two are absolute masters in the post and combining them with Rui Hachimura and solid guard play gives the Bulldogs the best shot at redemption.
3. UNC vs. Auburn is appointment viewing.
Both teams rank top ten in offensive efficiency (per Kenpom). Both teams love to run and gun and shoot. Auburn absolutely demolished Kansas in the 2nd round with the incredible backcourt play. I predict UNC winning and although Coby White has played well this tournament I expect this game to be his coming out party and introduction to the general public. He is an electric scorer and the pace and open nature of this game will give him the opportunity to have a truly memorable game.
Bonus thought: "Rocky Top" as the kids say slaps. I love that song. Whenever Tennessee plays I always get that song stuck in my head, and I am not complaining.