The case for Duke to win the national title

Here are three reasons Zion Williamson’s Blue Devils could win it all.

Mike Krzyzewski’s super team era has offered up mixed results for Duke in March. Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood’s team was shocked by Mercer in the opening round in 2014. Jayson Tatum and Luke Kennard’s 2017 team got upset by South Carolina in the second round. Brandon Ingram’s 2016 squad was eliminated in the Sweet 16. Last year’s team, led by Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr., was dropped by Kansas in an instant classic Elite Eight game.

The gold standard for this era remains the 2015 team, one that saw four freshman — Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow, and Grayson Allen — combine for 60 of the team’s 68 points in the national title game to give Coach K his fifth and most NCAA championship.

That’s the blueprint this year’s team hopes to follow led by what might be the greatest freshman class of Krzyzewski’s career.

Zion Williamson is the best player in the country. R.J. Barrett is favored to be the second overall pick in the NBA draft right behind him. Cam Reddish has run hot-and-cold but would the primary option on so many other teams. Tre Jones, Tyus’ young brother, runs the show as a classic floor general who doubles as an elite defender.

Williamson’s emergence into a national phenomenon has made Duke the most talked about team in America all season. There are no silver linings for the Blue Devils this year. It’s national title or bust.

3 reasons Duke can win the national championship

Zion Williamson is one of the best college basketball players ever

Most recruiting outlets considered Williamson the third best freshman on Duke coming into the year. At this point, there’s no debate he’s the biggest star in the sport and a no-brainer choice to be the first overall pick when the NBA draft comes around in June.

Williamson’s incredible highlights might only be eclipsed by his statistical dominance. He is the top player in the country by any measure, shooting 70 percent from the field, racking up steals, blocks, and rebounds, and asserting his will inside on any player who challenges him.

When Williamson sprained his knee and missed six games late in the season, Duke only went 3-3. With him, the Blue Devils look like the best team in college basketball.

Duke actually defends this year

Duke’s defense was so shaky last season Coach K resorted to playing zone. That’s not an issue this year. Duke enters the tournament No. 6 overall in defensive efficiency, putting together a roster full of long, active defenders that force turnovers and turn defense into offense better than any team in the country.

Jones is arguably the best on-ball defender at the point guard position in the country. Barrett and Reddish have the length and athleticism to match-up with any wing they’ll see in March. Williamson is the ultimate free safety, darting into passing lanes and soaring above the rim for blocks.

Duke’s supplemental scorers around Williamson can go cold and they can still win because of their defense. The Blue Devils’ national title hopes rest on being elite defensively.

Duke has the highest ceiling of any team in the country

If Duke plays its best game, no one can beat them. That’s why they’ll enter the NCAA tournament as the prohibitive favorite to win it all.

The Blue Devils need Barrett to avoid playing hero ball. They need Reddish to force turnovers with his long arms on defense and stroke threes on offense. They need Williamson to keep playing the only way he knows how, with a relentless motor, singular physicality, and an unbreakable will to win.

Duke can be upset if they play selfishly or if Williamson gets in early foul trouble. But if Duke plays up to their own standard, they should be cutting down the nets in Minneapolis come April.

The path for Duke to the national championship

Duke is the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament out of the East region. The Blue Devils play the winner of VCU and UCF in the second round. No. 4 seed Virginia Tech and No. 5 seed Mississippi State will be favored to be the Blue Devils’ opponent in the Sweet 16.

In the Elite Eight, Duke could have to face No. 2 seed Michigan State. The Spartans won the Big Ten tournament on Sunday and had a strong case for a No. 1 seed.

In the Final Four, Duke could be looking at a matchup with Gonzaga. In the national title game, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina will be the Blue Devils’ biggest threats.

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