Louisville, Duke on Elite Eight Collision Course

Will Louisville be the sole #1 seed to advance to the 2013 Final Four? (Kalel2007)

In an NCAA Tournament defined by upsets, buzzer beaters, and Cinderella stories, the Midwest Regional Final will come down to chalk.

The Elite Eight matchup in the Midwest Region comes down to #1 vs. #2 (the only such game in 2013), as the overall #1 seed Louisville Cardinals will face off against the historical dominance of Coach K and the 2-seed Duke Blue Devils.

It will be a face-off of nationally-prominent programs, conferences (Big East and ACC), and coaches (Rick Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski).

How Louisville got here

Round of 64: def. (16) North Carolina A&T, 79-48

Round of 32: def. (8) Colorado State, 82-56

Sweet 16: def (12) Oregon, 77-69

Star performer: Junior guard Russ Smith has averaged 27 points and nearly 4 steals per contest for the Cardinals, including a 31-point outburst against the Oregon Ducks.

Or will the Duke Blue Devils reach Coach K’s 12th Final Four? (Credit Wikipedia)

How Duke got here

Round of 64: def. (15) Albany, 73-61

Round of 32: def. (7) Creighton, 66-50

Sweet 16: def. (3) Michigan State, 71-61

Star performer: Senior guard Seth Curry has averaged 24 points and over 4 rebounds per game for the Blue Devils, including 29 points in their win over the Michigan State Spartans.

The matchup

Duke outscored Louisville during the regular season, by an average of 78.3 to 73.6 points per game. The Blue Devils also shoot better from the floor, ranking 17th in the nation with a 47.6% field-goal percentage. However, the Cardinals have a decisive edge on the glass, grabbing 4 more rebounds per game than Duke (including 164 more offensive rebounds during the regular season).

Guard play will be essential in this game, as Russ Smith and Seth Curry lead the way in scoring for their respective squads. However, the key matchup to watch may be on the inside, as Louisville’s Gorgui Dieng and Duke’s Mason Plumlee will engage in a tenacious battle to establish dominance in the paint. Dieng is slightly taller and weighs more than Plumlee, but the Duke senior is a more adept scorer and has the advantage of experience.

In terms of bench play, Louisville has shown a greater willingness to bring in more substitutes. The Cardinals played 10 men in their Sweet 16 game against the Oregon Ducks, while Duke only played 7 against Michigan State. Eight Cardinals contributed 10+ minutes in the Sweet 16, as compared to just 6 players for the Blue Devils.

So, who wins?

If Duke prevails, not only will Coach K reach the 12th Final Four of his impeccable career, but it will mark just the fourth time that no #1 seeds reach the Final Four in NCAA Tournament history. If Louisville wins, it will be Rick Pitino’s 5th trip to the Final Four with 3 different schools (Providence Friars, Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville). It would also give the Cardinals back-to-back trips to the Final Four.

With a trip to Atlanta on the line, both teams have looked impressive, physical and focused. Both possess exceptional outside scoring and a tenacious interior rebounder. And no one can question the pedigree of either team’s coach. We’d tell you who we think will win… but seeing as our staff is split 50/50 on this game, that’s a moot point.

So, we’ll leave it to you, our faithful Sideline MOBsters. Who do you think wins this Regional Final clash of the college basketball titans: the Louisville Cardinals or the Duke Blue Devils?

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