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Year-after-year progression is a huge factor which determines who wins the NCAA Tournament and comes out on top in March Madness. The Duke Blue Devils seem to be on track for their first national championship under Coach Jon Scheyer. However, the Cam Boozer-led squad might need to hold their horses. ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi posits that everything could end in heartbreak when they face the Arizona Wildcats.
Duke's big threat is Arizona in March Madness
Coach Scheyer has now coached big names in March Madness. Paolo Banchero, Jalen Johnson, Mark Williams, Cooper Flagg, and Kon Knueppel among others have been in the Duke basketball system. However, the national championship has still remained elusive.
A lot of Blue Devils fans speculate that it will be Cam Boozer, Isaiah Evans, and Patrick Ngongba II who get to come out on top in March Madness. ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi says otherwise.
"It's a worthy No.1 overall seed for the Blue Devils. Duke back again as a legitimate championship contender. How many games can they win? Probably shorthanded, for me, it's five. All the way to the national championship game. Duke was Elite Eight two years ago, Final Four last year, Final two this year. The progression continues for Jon Scheyer but they lose to Arizona on the first Monday of April," the March Madness analyst said.
Duke currently sits atop the East Region as the first seed. Coach Scheyer and Boozer's squad currently have to go through a plethora of rough opponents if they want to win it all: the St. John's Red Storm, Kansas Jayhawks, Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans, Dan Hurley's UConn Huskies, and Louisville Cardinals. Not to mention, heavy hitters like the Houston Cougars, Illinois Fighting Illini, or Florida Gators can stand in their way at the Final Four.
Currently, Duke basketball leads the KenPom ratings with a +38.9 net rating. But, Arizona is a very close second. They share the same 32-2 record and are just behind with a +37.66 net rating. Arizona is also expected to be battle-tested when the national championship game rolls arounds. Foes like the Wisconsin Badgers, John Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks, the AJ Dybantsa-led BYU Cougars, Matt Painter's championship-starved Purdue Boilermakers, and rough Michigan Wolverines squad await them.
What makes this title matchup more spicy? Well, Duke eliminated Arizona in the Sweet 16 back when Flagg still led them in 2025. The national championship will clearly be up in the air when these two meet in NCAA tournament. Momentum is what dictates this matchup. All of that is in the spirit of March Madness.
Who do you have winning it all?
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