A blown-out sneaker has leveled the race to see which team will be crowned college basketball’s next champion. Zion Williamson was on the court for less than a minute against North Carolina last Wednesday before having his shoe come apart. The blowout left him with a knee injury, and it’s unclear whether or not he will play again this year. Many have been calling for Williamson to save himself for the NBA Draft after suffering an injury so late in the season, and if that happened, Duke would no longer be the favorite to win it all.
Duke Blue Devils at Virginia Tech Hokies
Date and Time: Tuesday, February 26, 2019, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, Virginia
CBB Betting Line: Duke -4.5, O/U 145.5
This will be the Blue Devils’ second game without Williamson in the lineup, and they survived their first test. It’s understandable how they were blown out by rival North Carolina in the game that he was hurt in, but they rebounded with a 75-65 win against Syracuse in the Carrier Dome over the weekend.
That game gave us an indication of what life without Zion would be like for Duke. RJ Barrett took more than a third of the team’s shots (hitting 70 percent of them), and it looks like the Blue Devils will play more on the perimeter without a wrecking ball to manhandle other big men down low.
Virginia Tech is one of the more efficient teams in the nation, so this will be a tough test for Duke. The Hokies have a solid offense, and they can shoot the lights out from three. As a team, they are hitting more than 40 percent of their triples on the year, and with only one solid defender in Tre Jones, I think they will have a lot of success against Duke’s guards here. I like Virginia Tech to pull off the upset.
Syracuse Orange at North Carolina Tar Heels
Date and Time: Tuesday, February 26, 2019, 9 p.m. ET
Location: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
CBB Betting Line: North Carolina -12, O/U 147
Jim Boeheim had a trying week off the court after hitting and killing a pedestrian with his car, but it doesn’t sound like he will be charged. It has no doubt affected his state of mind though, and he’d be forgiven if his mind wasn’t totally on basketball going forward.
The Tar Heels have been on a tear. They followed up their 16-point win over Duke with an 18-point win over a very good Florida State team, and it looks like North Carolina may be coming into its own. Luke Maye is back to looking like an all-conference big man, and Cameron Johnson continues to be incredible.
Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense has not been as great as we have seen in the past, and I don’t think North Carolina will have much trouble beating it given their depth. Look for the Tar Heels to roll.
San Diego State Aztecs at Utah State Aggies
Date and Time: Tuesday, February 26, 2019, 9:30 p.m. ET
Location: Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, Logan, Utah
CBB Betting Line: Utah State -8.5, O/U 137.5
Don’t sleep on the Mountain West. The conference has some very good teams and should land two schools in the NCAA Tournament come March. Nevada is a given to make the tournament at this point, and Utah State has a very good chance of making the Big Dance too.
The Aggies are 22-6, and this is a gigantic week for them. They host San Diego State and Nevada, and wins in both games would punch their ticket to the tournament. Utah State’s last loss came on the road to San Diego State, and the Aggies will be out to even the season series here.
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