As a team, Duke scored 54.7% and dominated an Arkansas team that saw its season end in the Elite Eight for the second consecutive season. This will mark Duke’s first appearance in the Final Four since 2015 and will boost coach Mike Krzyzewski’s Final Four career record to 13 as he prepares to retire at the end of the season. Duke will play the winner of Sunday’s match between No. 8 seed North Carolina and No. 15 in St. Peter’s next Saturday. The teams exchanged streaks in the first half, but the Blue Devils used an 8-0 explosion in the final 1:20 of the half to open the halftime lead to 45-33. Trevor Kills scored a three-pointer at halftime to send Duke into the locker room with the momentum. Arkansas reduced the deficit to 53-48 with 13:19 remaining in a 3-point game by Jaylin Williams. But Duke immediately went for a 10-0 run that started with a bucket of Paolo Banchero. At 9:07, the Blue Devils had a 66-51 advantage and the Razorbacks never reached single-digit percentages until the last minute, when the game was out of reach.
A great battle is coming
Duke’s victory creates a Final Four match for the ages that will be a great story, no matter who the opponent is. If it is the Tar Heels, then Duke will face his first opponent in the Final Four after UNC’s victory over Duke in Coach K’s last home game on March 5. The Blue Devils were looking for a rematch in the ACC Tournament title game but ended up playing at Virginia Tech after the Hokies beat North Carolina in a semifinal match. They may eventually get a rematch, and that would be legendary bets. But, of course, North Carolina must first overtake St. Peter. The Peacocks are the first No. 15 seed ever to reach the Elite Eight and have captured the hearts of the nation in the process. With victories over Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue under their belt, the Peacocks will not be intimidated by the Tar Heels and will not back down against Duke either. No matter who Duke plays next Saturday, it will be one of the most exciting Final Four games in a long time.
Foul problems slow down Jaleen Williams
When Arkansas center Jaleen Williams committed his second foul with 5:29 remaining in the first half, he initially stayed in the game. But 33 seconds later, he was sent to the bench with Arkansas just 31-26 behind. He was left out for the rest of the half and Duke prevailed over Arkansas 14-7 during this journey. Williams was key in stopping a series of Duke earlier in the first half, pulling a couple of rebounds and scoring five quick points in 30 seconds. Without him on the floor, the Razorbacks could not stop another row and entered the locker room with a 12 point drop. The second student at 6 feet was Arkansas’s best player on Saturday, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds and two steals. But the time he lost at the end of the first half opened the door for Duke to take control of the match.
Duke Mark Williams shines again
Duke point guard Jeremy Roots showed off his second-year shine during the NCAA Tournament. But classmate Mark Williams also made significant strides during his sophomore year in the program, delivering it again on Saturday. Mark Williams scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half and made a double-double with 11:10 remaining for the game. He finished 6 of 6 from the floor and helped Duke reach 46-34 in the second chance points. The performance just went on a strong NCAA 7-leg tournament route. Williams scored 15, 15 and 16 points, respectively, in each of Duke’s first three tournament games and was both menacing and defensive. Williams blocked 13 shots in Duke’s first three Big Dance games, and added three more to that record against Arkansas to match Shane Battier’s 2001 school record for most blocks in a single NCAA tournament. Of course, Duke won it all in 2001, which meant Battier had six games to set that bar. Williams will have at least five to try and set a new record after helping mark the Blue Devils’ victory on Saturday.
