WASHINGTON — After proving their mental fortitude in the Sweet 16, Cameron Boozer’s No. 1 seeded Duke Blue Devils will try to defeat this decade’s most successful program when they meet the No. 2 UConn Huskies in Sunday’s NCAA East Regional final.
Boozer has posted double-doubles in all three tournament games for Duke (35-2) to continue a season that has made the freshman forward the Naismith Award favorite.
Meanwhile, his Blue Devils teammates have gotten healthier.
In Friday’s 80-75 victory over St. John’s, junior guard Caleb Foster willed himself back to action 20 days after sustaining a right foot fracture and scored all 11 of his points after halftime to help his team overcome a 10-point deficit.
“First time playing in a few weeks, he’s sore and recovering like you would expect, but nothing concerning,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “We want him to just continue to be himself, his leadership, his ability to get downhill, just making plays himself and really more of what he did yesterday.”
Center Patrick Ngonba II has also been able to provide minutes off the bench in the last two games after he missed about three weeks with right foot soreness.
At a program that frequently re-loads with NBA Draft Lottery-bound talent like Boozer, that duo provides precious experience from last year’s Final Four squad. So does sophomore guard Isaiah Evans, who had his best game of the tournament with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting to lead Duke’s rally against the Red Storm.
“Just being able to insert our names in history definitely means a lot,” said Evans of possibly reaching consecutive Final Fours. “Like you said, a lot of people haven’t done that. With Duke having the history it has, to be one of the people that did something different, it means a lot to me.”
As impressive as Scheyer’s three consecutive Elite Eight appearances are in four seasons as Mike Krzyzewski’s successor, it’s Dan Hurley’s Huskies (32-5) who are seeking a third national title in four years.
And to limit Boozer, Hurley will lean on senior center Tarris Reed Jr., who has stepped up a level this tournament.
“I think with Tarris or any player, I think just at some point you hope that the light switch comes on in time,” Hurley said. “Maybe it’s the life or death urgency to this time of year. … When he plays at the level that he’s capable of playing at, we can beat any team in the country, and he’s as good as any center in the country.”
Reed posted double-doubles in both games of the opening weekend, including career bests with 31 points and 27 rebounds in a first-round win over Furman. It was the first time a player had 30-plus points and 25-plus rebounds in the same NCAA Tournament game since Houston legend Elvin Hayes in 1968.
Against Michigan State, Reed was more clutch than dominant, scoring 20 points and sinking four consecutive late free throws to ice the contest, but making less of a rebounding impact against a Spartans team that dominated the glass.
On Sunday, it may be more about limiting Boozer rather than outplaying him.
“Be disciplined, stay long, and make him stay over the length,” Reed said.” Make it as difficult as possible for him to score in the post.”
–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media
