THE DUKE DIVE: NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND

Duke fans can breathe a sigh of relief after their Blue Devils mopped Cal State Fullerton 78-61 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Fellow No. 2 seed Kentucky was eliminated by St. Peter’s in the East bracket. Michigan State awaits Duke in the Round of 32 Sunday at 5:15 p.m.

The size of Blue Devil defenders distinguished them from the Titans. They swatted Titan attempts with consistency and didn’t commit a defensive foul until the 12:55 mark. In the first eight minutes, easy shots and straight-line drives were unavailable for the Big West champions in half-court sets. Paolo Banchero’s baseline dunk broke an 8-0 Titan streak to put Duke at 33-25 before a timeout at 3:14. Banchero threw down his own miss as Duke held Cal State Fullerton 37-27 by halftime.

Mark Williams made a massive difference in three offensive possessions. Williams had an old-school three-point play, drawing a foul on Vincent Lee. He proceeded to assist A.J. Griffin’s three and then did the same for Banchero on a touch pass. A 51-33 Duke lead eliminated any potential dramatic finish. Williams had 15 points, five blocks, five assists, and seven rebounds. Banchero is back to playing up to his status as an NBA lottery selection. He was 7-14 for 17 points and 10 rebounds. At 250 pounds, his style of play is a little more finesse than physical. Jump shots and dunks are a specialty. Duke may falter in later rounds without Banchero scoring at a decent percentage. Five Blue Devils scored in double figures and the team finished with 10 blocks. Fullerton’s Damari Milstead led the team in points with 12 points on 5-9 shooting.

In the final minutes, Cal State Fullerton coach Dedrique Taylor hugged his players in emotional gratitude to them. Six seniors participated potentially for the last time on Friday night.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s mentality lately is to ignore the excitement of his final season. It’s simply about the players. Basketball analysts have questioned if the outside noise has impacted Duke’s consistency in recent games. The Round of 32 may determine if those questions are warranted.