REGIONAL FINAL

Duke 66, Gonzaga 52

After last year’s utterly disastrous tournament, Duke is back in the Final Four.

The Blue Devils haven’t reached the final weekend of the whole thing since 2010, and although that wouldn’t seem like much of a drought for most teams, this seemed like forever, and now it’s looking like something truly special.

Duke used its power on the perimeter and an ability to get to the free-throw line to overcome a shaky shooting night and knock off Gonzaga. The Blue Devils struggled from the field vs. a tough Bulldogs defense, and Duke never allowed the ‘Zags to build any momentum.

This game was a contrast between a blue blood and a quality program that doesn’t rely on elite athletes. Gonzaga features a pile of seniors, but that experience was no match for the pure talent, the athleticism and quickness of Duke.

Yeah, Jahlil Okafor is a man inside, but it was Justise Winslow who continued his dominance of the NCAA Tournament. Winslow tweaked an ankle in the first half, but he made his presence felt with 16 points and five rebounds. Fellow freshie Tyus Jones scored 15 points to go with six assists. Duke valued the ball, committing just two turnovers in the game, and it held Gonzaga without a field goal for the final six minutes of the game.

Mike Krzyzewski is headed to his 12th Final Four – that’s a full dozen to you and me – and he is coaching like he is 20 years younger. Coach K is more enthusiastic than he has been in a long, long time, and this young team seems to have energized him. He knows he has a special team, and although getting past Michigan State won’t be easy, you know Krzyzewski can taste another national title.

SWEET SIXTEEN

Duke 63, Utah 57

Duke was seeking Justise vs. Utah, and the Blue Devils sure did find it.

With all eyes on Jahlil Okafor inside for Duke, it was another freshman, Justise Winslow, who stepped up and led the Blue Devils back to the Elite Eight. Winslow was all over the floor, scoring on drives to the bucket, knocking down threes, hitting the glass, blocking shots, and disrupting the passing lanes. He gave the Blue Devils a lift when they needed it in the second half, and Utah didn’t have an answer. Not that the Utes played poorly. They dominated on the offensive glass, and they did a good job of controlling Duke on the perimeter. But Utah also missed too many shots, struggled too mightily from beyond the arc themselves to pull off the upset.

Duke’s young players are performing at a high level heading into the Elite Eight, and Mike Krzyzewski gets the most out of his guys at this time of the year. Coach K looks energized on the sideline, like he knows that this is a special team that could give him a legitimate shot at hanging another championship banner. The Blue Devils are getting more confidence with each passing game, and that’s going to give Gonzaga headaches as they wait to play this weekend.

Gonzaga 74, UCLA 62

UCLA may have been more athletic, but Gonzaga made the Bruins look like they were running in sand.

UCLA didn’t exactly bring a lot of energy to the floor, and the Bulldogs made them pay by being more efficient on offense and beating UCLA off the dribble time and time again. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs dominated the boards, giving up few second-chance points, and that kept the Bruins from getting any semblance of a running game going.

UCLA didn’t hit its first 3-pointer of the game until there were two minutes left, robbing the offense of one of the biggest weapons. But it came back time and again to energy, simple effort. Gonzaga wanted every loose ball more. It cut harder, battled through screens harder, and brought more tenacity to the defensive end.

Gonzaga also stuck to its game. It could have tried to run with UCLA, especially when the threes weren’t falling early, but Mark Few’s squad never leaves its comfort zone. Przemek Karnowski and Domantas Sabonis were killer inside, and everyone kept the ball moving to keep UCLA scrambling. The result was Gonzaga’s first trip to the Elite Eight since 1999, and the Bulldogs are a team playing with plenty of confidence right now.

THIRD ROUND

Gonzaga 87, Iowa 68

Gonzaga was just too good, too disciplined, too balanced.

Iowa got a nice game from its frontline, but the ‘Zags got a little something from everyone to move on to the Sweet 16. It’s tough to put a finger on what the Bulldogs did to cruise to the win. Yeah, Iowa shot poorly from 3-point range and struggled to get to the line, but the Hawkeyes didn’t turn the ball over or give up too many second-chance points. It’s more about Gonzaga’s ability to control the glass and force Iowa to work hard on offense for everything it got. Stringing together stops was important for the Bulldogs as well, and Mark Few’s squad play with a confidence beyond its years.

The Bulldogs also figure to be the favorites to move on to the Elite Eight. UCLA awaits next weekend, and although the Bruins are playing well and have better athleticism, Gonzaga’s fundamentals and ability to control the game will be tough to overcome. The Bulldogs’ steady play can take this team far.

Oklahoma 72, Dayton 66

Playing every other day can take its toll. It grounded the Flyers.

Dayton started the week playing at home in the First Four, and it earned trips to the second and third rounds of the tournament. When you throw in last week’s Atlantic 10 tournament, Dayton was playing its sixth game in 10 days, and fatigue seemed to get the best of Archie Miller’s squad late vs. Oklahoma. The Flyers led by seven midway through the second half, but they could manage just 10 points the rest of the way. They lost their legs, started allowing the Sooners to get to more loose balls and didn’t have the same quickness defensively. OU continued to play its game, and the Sooners outlasted Dayton.

Oklahoma and Lon Kruger head to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009 despite not playing its best game, and simply finding a way to win was a positive. This is a tough, scrappy Oklahoma team that is still looking for respect, and it will have its chance to make a statement vs. Michigan State in the Sweet 16.

Duke 68, San Diego State 49

If Duke continues to defend like this, the Blue Devils can punch their ticket to Indianapolis right now.

Duke pursued San Diego State all over the floor, making the Aztecs work for everything and stifling their offense en route to a return trip to the Sweet 16. SDSU forward Dwayne Polee couldn’t score inside or out. Same goes for forward J.J. O’Brien. And Sklar Spencer. And Winston Shepard. Meanwhile, on the offensive end, Duke was efficient, feeding Jahlil Okafor in the low post and letting Justise Winslow stuff his stat line.

This is a dangerous Duke team, one that is playing its best basketball of the season. Another trip to the Sweet 16 isn’t big news for Mike Krzyzewski, but his team is cranking up for a special finish.

Utah 75, Georgetown 64

Teamwork and unselfishness can take a team a long way, or, at least, to the Sweet 16.

Utah showed fantastic ball movement, got great production out of its bench and was patient on every possession to knock out Georgetown. The Hoyas have more athleticism and overall talent, and guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera was the best player in the lineup for either team. G-Town had all it needed to last to next weekend. What it didn’t have was balance or a bench that could make an impact.

The Utes have shown an edge in the first two games that was unexpected. They were overlooked in the first round, the sexy pick to be an upset victim vs. Stephen F. Austin. It didn’t happen. Then it was thought Georgetown would have too much athleticism for Utah. It didn’t. Now, anything is possible if Utah continues to believe in itself.

UCLA 92, UAB 75

A lot of people thought UCLA didn’t deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament. Now the Bruins are one of the last 16 standing.

Yeah, part of UCLA’s easy road to the Sweet 16 can be chalked up to UAB pulling off a stunner in the second round and beating Iowa State, but Steve Alford’s guys are finally playing the way most expected them to this season.

Bryce Alford is knocking down shots from everywhere, Tony Parker is playing like the stud he can be, and Kevon Looney is playing hard on both ends. UCLA’s dominance didn’t include defending the 3-point line, but the Bruins were assertive everywhere else vs. the Blazers.

Solving that problem on the perimeter will be key no matter who UCLA plays in the Sweet 16. Both Iowa and Gonzaga can knock down open jumpers, but Alford’s boys play like they did vs. UAB, they could find themselves in the Elite Eight.

SECOND ROUND

Gonzaga 86, North Dakota State 76

Gonzaga has boasted more talent, but rarely has it worked so well together.

The Bulldogs’ efficiency ensured they wouldn’t be the victim of an upset vs. scrappy North Dakota State, and their work on the glass kept the Bison from mounting a serious comeback effort after Gonzaga went up big early. This is a wonderfully unselfish squad Mark Few has at his disposal. Their chemistry is something to watch, and their fundamentals are special.

Being pushed just a little by NDSU could be a positive for Gonzaga since it was forced to keep some semblance of an edge. That could pay off in the round of 32 vs. Iowa.

Iowa 83, Davidson 52

Iowa didn’t like all the Davidson chatter, and the Hawkeyes made a statement Friday night.

The Wildcats were a sexy pick to get by Iowa. The Hawkeyes were getting little respect, and Iowa’s bigs were all but dismissed. Fran McCaffery might want to Aaron White and Adam Woodbury to stay under the radar. White was dominant inside on both ends, and his soft hands killed Davidson in the paint. Woodbury hit the glass hard, and Iowa’s defense never let Davidson find its rhythm.

Iowa has been inconsistent this year. Maddeningly so. Maybe Iowa can get on a roll, and if it brings the same attitude to the floor it had vs. Davidson, the Hawkeyes will be a tough out.

Duke 85, Robert Morris 56

Duke wasn’t about to be an upset victim this year.

The Blue Devils stepped on Robert Morris’ neck early, building a 17-point lead by halftime and cruising to an easy win over the Colonials. Duke has struggled in the early rounds in a couple of recent NCAA Tournaments, and Duke has looked vulnerable at times this season. But this also is the time of year Duke has been focused on all year, and even thought the Blue Devils are stocked with kids, there was a different energy for Coach K’s club.

Duke’s defense and versatility will keep the Blue Devils around for a while in this tourney. The Blue Devils have the look of a team on a mission.

Georgetown 84, Eastern Washington 74

You can give Eastern Washington credit for being scrappy. But Georgetown gets credit for the win.

The Hoyas’ ability to knock down the open 3-pointer sent Eastern Washington home, and a dominant first half by Georgetown sent John Thompson III’s team to the round of 32. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Tre Campbell, Jabril Trawick and Paul White all knocked down multiple threes to take the steam out of the Eagles, and free throws down the stretch ensured G-Town wouldn’t be the victim of an upset late. Most importantly, the Hoyas allowed EWU’s Tyler Harvey to have a big game, but they made sure none of the other Eagles (outside of Venky Jois) would beat them. Eastern Washington became one-dimensional, and the Hoyas won.

Georgetown showed a lot of grit to keep EWU at bay, and the Eagles’ second half rally from being down 23 should keep the Hoyas sharp in their next game vs. Utah.

Utah 57, Stephen F. Austin 50

You have to give Utah credit. The Utes got stops when they needed it, they executed late, they made their free throws and did exactly what they needed to do to win.

The Utes put together a nice gameplan to control Stephen F. Austin’s Thomas Walkup, who had to work for everything he got on the floor, and Utah pulled away midway through the second half. Yeah, the Lumberjacks made a run to close the gap, but Utah never panicked.

Utah won’t blow anyone away with its athleticism, but the Utes are going to be a headache no matter how long they stick around.

UCLA 60, SMU 59

Was SMU robbed?

That’s a question that’s going to be talked about for a while in Dallas. The Mustangs were called for a goaltend on a 3-pointer from UCLA’s Bryce Alford with :11.6 to play, one that wasn’t at all clear in real time and wasn’t any clearer on replay.

SMU had a pair of good looks at the buzzer to win it, but Nic Moore missed both of his shots to send the Mustangs home.

Neither team played all that well, and it was a little surprising to see the officials make a call on a ball that was clearly wide of the hoop so late in the game. More confusing was the fact that the officials didn’t spend a lot of time explaining themselves.

But if SMU fans are going to question the officials, they also need to question why Larry Brown sat on four timeouts and didn’t use one to get his team on the same page. It could have refocused his team for a final possession, but instead, he let the game play out, and SMU couldn’t find its One Shining Moment.

UAB 60, Iowa State 59

Kaboom. There goes your bracket.

So much for Iowa State being hungry and focused and waiting all year for this moment. The Cyclones went out, played down to the level of their opponent, got ripped on the boards overall – RIPPED – and got killed on the offensive glass. ISU turned in a dud at the worst possible time.

Neither team really managed the clock well late in the game, but UAB showed a lot of heart after falling behind early. The Blazers might not stick around for much longer, but they’re the early Cinderella.