Here in Brooklyn, a match-up of two of the great brands in college athletics clash – Notre Dame and Duke.
Notre Dame comes into the game needing the victory to make an NCAA tournament resume. Coach Mike Brey cut his teeth as an assistant at Duke for Mike Krzyzewski.
Duke came into the season as the team to beat with five projected NBA first-round picks. Plagued by inconsistency and defensive apathy, Duke could never wrestle the conference lead from Virginia.
Entering the ACC tournament as the 2nd seed, Duke is starting to hit a rhythm propelled by the return on the court of the ACC Player of the Year, freshman, Marvin Bagley.
Bagley’s inside presence forces the defense to collapse opening up the perimeter looks for guards, Gary Trent and Grayson Allen.
This thin Notre Dame team is going to have its hands full defending the Blue Devils and the thought of outscoring Duke is a faulty one.
Duke is looking to run the table in the ACC and solidify its place on the top line, the #1 line with Virginia and the Big East winner.
Senior Grayson Allen got off to a fast start in the first 10 minutes with 15 of Duke’s 30 points. The senior is looking to cement his place in Duke lore with another Championship run.
The stakes are high here in Brooklyn!
