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The Duke Blue Devils are back in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019, and they are riding two strong, gritty performances to do so.
Duke surged past Texas Tech 78-73 in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night. That victory came after outdueling perennial Final Four contender Michigan State 85-76 in the second round on Sunday.
Ninth-ranked Duke (31-6), the No. 2 seed in the West, will face No. 4 seed Arkansas (28-8), ranked 17th, on Saturday in San Francisco, California. Arkansas upset No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga 74-68 on Thursday.
Duke is one of the highest seeds remaining. Three of the No. 1 seeds are already out, and No. 1 seed Kansas faces Providence on Friday in a Sweet 16 game. Only two No. 2 seeds are in the Elite Eight: Duke and Villanova.
The Duke-Arkansas winner advances to the Final Four in New Orleans. Retiring Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is seeking a 13th Final Four appearance, which would be a record. Duke, which has won the national title five times under Coach K, hasn't been to a Final Four since 2015.
On ESPN's "First Take," college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg talked about how impressive Duke has been.
"They looked like a national championship team," Grenberg said. "They did it on the offensive end. They did it on the defensive end."
Duke Blue Devils are starting to find their groove
Although Duke beat Kentucky and Gonzaga in November and lost its first three ACC games by just four points, a pair of losses earlier this month were shocking. Unranked North Carolina ruined Mike Krzyzewski's final home game with a 94-81 blowout on March 5. And unranked Virginia Tech blasted the Blue Devils 82-67 in the ACC Tournament championship game on March 12.
Fans and analysts wondered if the weight of Mike Krzyzewski's final season was getting to a young-but-talented roster.
But after three straight wins, the Blue Devils are oozing with confidence, and a number of players have starred.
Freshman forward Paolo Banchero may be the face of the NCAA Tournament. At 6-foot-10, 250 pounds, Banchero stands out with his offensive versatility and pure strength around the basket. During tournament play, Banchero has averaged 19.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 55.0%, including 53.8% from 3-point range.
