Tonight in Charlotte, North Carolina, the 16th-seeded Robert Morris Colonials (20-14, 12-6) will take on the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils (29-4, 15-3). With the Colonials coming off of two nail biting wins in the last week, they will look to challenge one of the upper echelon teams in the NCAA.
Freshman Frenzy: If Robert Morris wants to make this a contest, they must start by challenging a Duke team that has great interior offense and defense. Duke’s freshman center Jahlil Okafor has been the biggest contributor both defensively and offensively for the Blue Devils, with Okafor averaging 17.7 points per game, nine rebounds and has 567 points over 32 games, which leads the team.
Along with Okafor, three other Blue Devils are averaging double-digit points: senior guard Quinn Cook (15.7), freshman forward Justise Winslow (12.3) and freshman guard Tyus Jones (11.6). Robert Morris will have to play at the highest level that it has played at the entire year in order to keep up with a fast paced offense and a ball-hawking defense.
Three Amigos: With Robert Morris lacking size, it will need to make sure to take advantage of each and every possession. This will mean that the players that were able to outlast North Florida – senior guard Lucky Jones, junior guard Rodney Pryor and freshman Marcquise Reed – will need to put up good numbers and be very efficient. With all three scoring a combined 60 points in an 81-77 victory over North Florida, it is clear that they are the key if Robert Morris has any shot in upsetting Duke.
Upset Special: While one seeds are undefeated against 16 seeds in the NCAA tournament (120-0), Duke has experienced disappointment as a high seed in the last few years. Seeded third last year, Duke lost 71-78 to the 14th-seeded Mercer Bears. In 2012, the second-seeded Blue Devils also lost to the 15th-seeded Leigh Mountain Hawks, 70-75.
Not to say that the Blue Devils are likely to lose, but Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewsk has not had a fully prepared team against lower seeded teams in the last few years.
Closing Words: Robert Morris is currently the only team representing Western Pennsylvania in the NCAA tournament and for good reason. The Colonials have been able to prove themselves over the past few weeks as a team that belongs. However, playing as a mid-major team has its downside and that mean having to play an elite program like Duke in the second round.
Robert Morris is a team that could prove to be difficult for Duke, but, with their lack of height and ability to play the boards well, their chances of winning are no better than past 16 seeded teams. There are positives for the Colonials. Defensively, they make their opponents turnover the ball often and are able to generate points off of the mistakes.
Final Prediction: Expect Duke to come out aggressive against Robert Morris. Watch for Okafor to posses the ball significantly under the hoop both offensively and defensively.
Robert Morris will use the perimeter to their advantage in trying to spread out the court and find good shots from three-point range.
With the Colonials lacking in size and the Blue Devils using Okafor and strong physical play to their advantage, Duke will advance over Robert Morris, 82-68.
The game will begin tonight at 7:10 P.M. EST on CBS from Charlotte, NC.
Photo credit: ESPN
