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On the eve of the opening match of the 2019 Duke ACC tournament, it's more than normal to start looking ahead for next week. The Blue Devils would like to bring back a title from the 21st conference in Durham, but they know that a sixth national title would be even sweeter.
But what's going to happen in Charlotte this week could go a long way in determining how the selection committee will determine the top teams in the tournament and where each one could be sent over the first two weekends.
The Chronicle describes all of Duke's possibilities in the hope of turning things around with Zion Williamson and showing committee members why he was at the top of the AP survey for several weeks this season:
Get the best seed
Gonzaga's defeat on Tuesday night has dramatically changed the game when it comes to seeing top teams fall on the S-curve or the seeded list. Virginia now ranks first overall and controls her destiny. If the Cavaliers can win all three of their ACC matches, they will remain at the top, which means Virginia will likely start their NCAA tournament in Columbia, SC, before heading. in Washington, DC, for East Regional.
The Blue Devils and North Carolina, however, have the chance to surpass the Cavaliers in this first place. Duke almost certainly, assuming Williamson is full, would return to first place if he won the ACC title, establishing a similar course across Columbia then into the nation's capital.
The Tar Heels could do the same thing, but the defeats against Kentucky and Virginia could allow North Carolina to escape first place.
Enter the regional south
The chances are that if the Blue Devils are not the best seed, it will be either the Heels or the Hoos. If Duke loses to North Carolina while Virginia qualifies for the ACC final, the Blue Devils will likely be shipped further than Louisville, Kentucky.
The question of who Duke will compete for the # 1 final then becomes a real issue. If the Blue Devils can not win two games in Charlotte, it's unlikely that they'll finish in front of the Bulldogs, considering Gonzaga's win. when the two teams clashed in November in Maui. But a Duke win on Friday night would almost ensure a trip to Louisville or D.C.
Get a seed # 1
As we have already discussed, Duke can in principle secure the first place by qualifying for the title of the ACC tournament. This will involve winning his first match on Thursday night and then defeating the Tar Heels in the semifinals.
If the Blue Devils do not manage to win against North Carolina this time, they will have to fight to stay on the front row. The Cavaliers are virtually all blocked. The Bulldogs too, despite their staggering defeat at Saint Mary's. If the Tar Heels beat Duke with Williamson and go to the ACC title game, they will probably be safe on Line 1.
This leaves a battle between the Blue Devils, the SEC tournament champion (if it's Kentucky or Tennessee), the Big Ten tournament champion (if that's Michigan or Michigan State) and Texas Tech, he can win three games to win a Big 12 Title tournament. Even if Duke only gets one win in Charlotte, a 26-6 record (with four losses without Zion) could well allow the Blue Devils to overtake either a team of five Wildcat defeats, or a five-game losing streak. Raiders.
The Spartans have bad losses, but the statistics are more favorable to Michigan State than to the other teams. The volunteers, if they can win the SEC tournament, would only have four losses, three on the road and the other on a neutral site against Kansas. Remember that Duke had a lead of one rank on Tennessee when the selection committee made its first revelations in mid-February and that the Spartans were only three points behind the Volunteers.
If the Blue Devils were to lose Thursday night, it would slam the door of seed No. 1, unless chaos reigns in the rest of the country.
Where could Duke play his opening weekend?
The Blue Devils would certainly prefer to play in Colombia if they can do it. Duke should finish in front of Virginia or North Carolina, or both. Since each site can only host two modules, the three teams can not end up in the capital of South Carolina.
So, if not Columbia, where could the Blue Devils go? Last year, when Duke was launched by the Tar Heels and Cavaliers, most thought he would go to Nashville. Instead, the Blue Devils traveled to Pittsburgh. This year, Jacksonville, Florida, would be the most likely destination, but it would not be surprising if Duke was sent to Columbus, Ohio either – these two sites are just over a seven-hour drive from Durham, while Columbia is about four years old.
Who could be placed in the Duke Regional?
The NCAA has certain rules regarding teams that can be placed in the same quarter of the range. Since ACC is essentially guaranteed to have four teams in the first four starting lines, the Blue Devils will not be placed in the same region as another team at their conference, unless that team is seeded No. 5 or lower.
This means that Duke will almost certainly be associated with one of the following teams as the second seed in his area: Kentucky, Tennessee, Gonzaga, Michigan, State of Michigan or Texas Tech. By far, the worst scenario would be that the Blue Devils end up in the South Regional with the Wildcats, who should only travel 76 miles to get to KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. Not so bad, but still difficult, Duke would be sent west to Anaheim, California, where he would probably be paired with the Bulldogs.
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