No. 1 Duke vs. No. 8 San Diego State

Why Duke will win: Only Kentucky surpasses Duke in terms of talent from top to bottom. Forward Jahlil Okafor is tough down low and actually bothers himself to play defense, and guards Quinn Cook and Tyus Jones can break down just about anyone off the dribble. This Duke team can shoot, it can get to the rim and plays enough defense to make opponents uncomfortable. The Blue Devils are focused this March, as well.

Why San Diego State will win: Steve Fisher is a great college basketball coach, someone who knows how to draw up a gameplan to neutralize teams that have more talent. Dwayne Polee and Winston Shepard have played some big games and won’t be intimidated by Duke, and SDSU’s defense and experience could rattle Duke’s youngsters, especially if the Aztecs get off to a hot start.

What will happen: Look, Duke has so much depth that Coach K has the luxury of yanking someone out of the lineup as soon as he sees him hanging his head a bit. SDSU’s defense will cause Duke some problems early, but feeding Jahlil Okafor inside will give the Blue Devils a boost, and the Aztecs won’t have an answer.

Prediction:Duke 77, San Diego State 70