Mar 30, 2019Just like the NCAA committee drew it up, Duke and Michigan State will play for the East Region title and a spot in the Final Four.The teams collide Sunday at Capital One Arena in Washington, with top-seeded Duke perhaps still gathering itself after its second great escape of the NCAA Tournament.Duke (32-5) has survived with late-game defensive stands, including Friday night when Virginia Tech missed three shots in the last 10 seconds as the Blue Devils prevailed 75-73.Maybe Duke is getting used to this."Now that it's March Madness, every game is kind of going to be like this - close, hard-fought games," Duke freshman RJ Barrett said. "We somehow find a way to keep winning at the end. It's great. We're not surprised by it, but we've just got to keep it up." Second-seeded Michigan State (31-6) has taken a smoother path with three victories by double-digit margins in the tournament. That includes Friday night's 80-63 dispatching of third-seeded LSU."This is the way my team has been," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "Somebody just steps up." The Spartans received heightened contributions from freshmen Aaron Henry and Gabe Brown in the Sweet 16 game.Izzo said those were what amounted to a bonus."Gabe has been working," Izzo said. "He knows he can shoot it. ... Aaron was, I thought, phenomenal. Everybody had to be ready." Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will be doing a deeper study of Michigan State, but he's aware the Spartans have certain firepower."Obviously I know Cassius Winston is maybe the best point guard in the country," Krzyzewski said. "He's MVP of the Big Ten. And Tom's program, their program of great offensive rebounding, toughness, togetherness. We'll try to put something together." Duke played Friday night without freshman forward Cam Reddish, who came up with a knee ailment. There is no structural damage in the knee, Krzyzewski said Saturday, adding that Reddish likely would be a game-time decision."We didn't know until right before the game that he was not going to be able to play," Krzyzewski said. "So that's another thing for our guys to be able to overcome, that adversity because we've prepared all week with that lineup. And then, boom, right before the start of the game he can't play." To help make up for Reddish's absence, point guard Tre Jones scored a season-high 22 points. That came, in part, on 5-for-7 on 3-point shooting. The rest of the Duke team was 1-for-13 on 3s.Michigan State forward Nick Ward left late in Friday night's game with an injury to his left hand. Ward said Saturday he will play against Duke."Nothing is going to keep me off the court tomorrow," Ward said.Duke holds a 12-2 all-time record against Michigan State. That includes seven straight victories since a 2005 NCAA Tournament win for the Spartans.Duke is in the Elite Eight for the second year in a row. Last March, the Blue Devils lost in overtime to Kansas.Izzo has taken seven teams to the Final Four, though not since 2015 when the Spartans lost to Duke in the national semifinals.Duke hasn't been to the Final Four since winning the 2015 title.--Field Level Media
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