Duke vs St. John's: Paint Control & Ball Security

0:00On March 25, top-seated dupe takes on 5th-seated St. John's in the sweet 16 on Friday at 710 PM Eastern time at Capital One Arena. The blue doubles advanced by beating 16th-seated CNS-71 to 65 and 9th-seated TCU-81 to 58. St. John's pulled off upsets over 12th-seated Northern Iowa and 4th-seated Kansas to reach this point. Duke coach John Shire, eyes a 3rd straight Elite 8 appearance. The red storm are scorching hot, winning 21 of their last 22 games, but this is their toughest test yet. Sophomore Center Patrick Ingangba returned after missing 5 games, though he saw just 13 minutes versus TCU. Junior Kayla Foster has a fractured right foot, but my play-sum. St. John's ranks high in defensive efficiency, yet they struggled in the pain during losses, getting outscored badly inside. Duke thrives there, leading nationally in offensive rebounding and two-point shooting.

1:00Fans see this as a battle of physical fronts, with Duke's length posing real problems. To win, Duke must own the interior. Push St. John's forward, Bryce Hopkins away from three-point range after his hot tournament start and cut down. Turnovers, they've lost 25 over two games. St. John's forces plenty, so ball security is huge. This clash could hinge on pain control and steady hands. Duke's talent gives them the edge if they execute. Listeners, mark your calendars for Friday showdown.