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Duke vs. South Carolina prediction and game preview, as the No. 2 Blue Devils and No. 7 Gamecocks face off in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

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Since falling in their regular season finale to rival North Carolina, the Duke Blue Devils have flipped the switch and look like the preseason favorite everyone expected. Duke became the

Duke became the first-ever ACC team to win four games in order to claim the conference tournament (getting revenge against UNC along the way to claim the season series crown, 2-1). That momentum from the ACC Tournament in New York carried down to Greenville, South Carolina, as the Blue Devils wasted little time jumping all over Troy – shooting out to a 23-8 lead in the first half and keeping the Trojans at arm’s-length for the remainder of the game.

Their opponent in the second round of the NCAA Tournament will be the South Carolina Gamecocks. After receiving a No. 7 seed in the dance, the Gamecocks were matched up with No. 10 Marquette and sent the Golden Eagles home after picking up a 93-73 win.

Duke vs. South Carolina

Date: Sunday, March 19
Venue: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, South Carolina
Region: East

Duke wins if …

The talent continues to shine. Pick your poison: Frank Jackson, Jayson Tatum and Grayson Allen all shined through in the first round. That means you can probably expect a breakout game from Luke Kennard and Amile Jefferson, and maybe even a Harry Giles showing, in the second round. If Duke can continue staying balanced and the upperclassmen and youngsters continue to gel, this is a Final Four team.

Also, shooting around the 50% mark from three-point land helps keep the pressure on clubs while the Blue Devils pull away.

South Carolina wins if …

They lock down the perimeter. The Gamecocks have played smothering defense for most of the season, but they allowed Marquette to sink 11-of-28 threes in the first round (39.3 percent). If South Carolina doesn’t rotate, close out and push Duke off the three-point line, it will be in trouble.

On top of that, Duane Notice has to be more efficient from the floor. He notched only 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting, and he was 2-of-10 from behind the arc. If he continues to draw iron, the Blue Devils will get out and run thanks to some long rebounds.

Duke vs. South Carolina Prediction

The South Carolina defense will be exposed against Duke’s playmakers. Tatum will start off hot from the field and will end up leading the Blue Devils in points. Allen will chime in with some clutch threes, and the Gamecocks won’t be able to sustain a steady flow on offense long enough to keep pace with Duke. Some good ball movement and clutch shooting will keep the Blue Devils dancing.

Duke vs. South Carolina Score Prediction: Dukes 86, South Carolina 73

MORE: Complete NCAA Tournament Bracket, Previews, Predictions