The Blue Devils are the team with the easiest passage to the Final Four.
The Duke Blue Devils are fresh off of another ACC championship and Coach K must be happy with his draw in NCAA March Madness tournament. There were times during the season when Duke did not appear to be destined for a top seed, however they have persevered and they are looking good to make a deep run in this year's March Madness tournament.
The reason Duke are looking so strong to make the Final Four is because their bracket, the south region, is loaded with teams that have significant weaknesses. Duke is the number 1 seed and the other top teams in the bracket are Villanova, Baylor, and Purdue.
Villanova are limping into the post-season coming off a loss to unranked Marquette in the Big East tournament. The Wildcats had it going on earlier in the season but no one considers them to be threats for the NCAA title now as they enter the tournament losers of 5 of their last 7. Their status as a number 2 seed is highly questionable given their recent losses even to the weak teams.
Baylor's a fine team as a three seed in the south and they are coming off of a commendable season. But instead of treating them like a dangerous threat you just want to pat them on the head and say "Well done boys."
They are the exact type of school that no one will be afraid to play against with no history of post-season success in NCAA basketball and no serious star power. Scott Drew, the coach for Baylor, has never won an NCAA tournament game. He has been coaching Div I since 2002 and in all those seasons, he only has one loss in the NCAA first round to show on his resume (NIT runner-up 2009). If Baylor survive to the South Regional Finals expect Coach K to blow Drew out by 15 just in terms of coaching impact.
The Purdue Boilermakers are the 4th seed in the South Region and they are on a collision course with Duke in the Regional Semifinals. However should that match up take place look for Duke to come in as something like a -6 point favorite. Purdue fans had reasons to be optimistic about a national title but then Robbie Hummel, Purdue's second leading scorer and second leading rebounder, injured his knee. Duke can now outman Purdue in a heads up situation and Coach K has to like his chances of making another Final Four.
The Duke Blue Devils, the most popular team in NCAA basketball besides the unfortunate North Carolina Tar Heels, have certainly had the red carpet rolled out for them this year. That carpet starts in the opening round where they will play the worst team in the field even though Duke is not the top team in the nation (either Winthrop or Arkansas Pine Bluff) and it rolls all the way to the Regional Finals, where Villanova, who should be a fourth seed at best, will be waiting if they survive that long.
Pound the Blue Devils in every straight up situation that presents itself in the South Region as the tournament progresses and take Duke at +800 (8/1) with Players Only to win the NCAAB National Championship. Things are 'finally' going Duke's way with this 'lucky' draw and you certainly want to be on this bandwagon this year.
Kansas are the favorite of course but their odds are way too short now at +200 as they have been taking a pounding for months now. Also the presence of Maryland, Georgetown, and Ohio State in Kansas's bracket make their road to the Final Four look treacherous, with danger lurking at every turn from the Regional Semifinals onward.
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