Sweet Sixteen Preview – Atlanta Region
(1) Duke vs. (5) Illinois
The second Atlanta regional semifinal of Friday features two of the most dominant teams in the tournament so far as Duke plays Illinois. Duke annihilated No. 16 Alabama State and cruised past No. 8 Seton Hall. Illinois beat No. 12 Murray State and erased an over-confident No. 4 Cincinnati squad. Something has got to give in this game.
An important factor in this game will be Illinois’ shooting touch. The Illini must get sophomore Deron Williams going early because Duke has so many shooters that at least one of them is bound to be hot. Illinois has fewer perimeter options and will need Williams to excel. Defensively, Illinois must be sure to not let sophomore J.J. Redick beat them. Redick’s range is perhaps the best of any shooter in the country as Redick appears comfortable shooting from about 26-feet out on the wings and at the top of the key.
Senior Chris Duhon played through a rib injury in the first two rounds, but he clearly was in pain, which curbed his defensive tenacity. Sophomore Dee Brown should attack Duhon early to determine if that injury still lingers. Duhon slammed into a television camera during the Blue Devils’ thriller against Maryland in the ACC championship. The odds are that the injury needs more time to heal completely, but Duhon is a warrior and will be on the court to lead Duke as long as he physically can.
For Duke, the best strategy is to establish sophomore Shelden Williams early. Williams is a great post player and will cause problems for sophomore James Augustine and seven-footer Nick Smith. Williams has more skills than either Augustine or Smith and, despite yielding a few inches to Smith, is stronger than them, too.
A win by Duke and Texas would create a rematch of the Dec. 20 game at Madison Square Garden that the Blue Devils easily won 89-61.
Prediction: Duke 81, Illinois 70
