Tyrese Proctor is the one remaining Duke starter from the Blue Devils’ Elite 8 run final 12 months.
They misplaced in a heartbreaker to convention opponent NC State, who went on a Cinderella run to the Last 4. Proctor struggled within the 76-64 defeat, capturing 0-9 from the sector and completed with a zero within the field rating.
However on this 12 months’s event, Proctor put all of it behind him.
He posted a 19-point, 5 help night time in opposition to Mount St. Mary’s within the opening spherical, however saved his finest for the following spherical.
Towards a proficient workforce of draft prospects and veteran gamers, together with Cooper Flagg’s former highschool level guard Rob Wright and former Duke guard Jeremy Roach, the Australian junior was unconscious on Sunday afternoon.
Proctor scored a team-high 25 factors on 9-10 capturing from the sector and draining seven triples to steer the top-seeded Blue Devils to an 89-66 rout over the Baylor Bears, incomes a visit to the Candy 16.
Freshman phenom Cooper Flagg—who graced the quilt of SLAM—completed with a close to triple-double, posting 18 factors, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Consultants and followers alike can lastly agree that it’s secure to say the ankle damage isn’t bothering him anymore.
Kon Knueppel rounded out Duke’s double-digit scorers, dropping 12 factors on an environment friendly 4-5 from the sector.
Projected lottery decide VJ Edgecombe led the Bears with 16 factors, whereas Norchad Omier’s consecutive double-double streak of 10 video games lastly got here to an in depth. The Miami switch completed with 15 factors and 9 rebounds. Langston Love and Wright every completed with 11 factors and Roach contributed seven factors off the bench in opposition to his former workforce.
The sport was tightly contested for almost all of the primary half. Neither workforce may draw back from each other, holding any result in inside single digits. Nevertheless, the wheels fell off for Baylor in direction of the top of the opening body.
With Duke clinging to a 35-30 lead with three minutes left within the first half, the Blue Devils went on a 12-0 run to enter halftime up 17.
Flagg scored a layup, dunk and drained a 3, Sion James and Patrick Ngongba made free throws and Caleb Foster hit a jumper to crush any momentum Baylor had.
“Once we keep on with our protection, keep on with our habits, we’re a very onerous workforce to attain on. As soon as we began getting free balls and rebounds, we may push in transition and play our offense,” Proctor mentioned.
Baylor may by no means get better from the momentum shift. Duke outscored the Bears 42-36 within the second half, and maintained a double-digit lead for the whole 20 minutes of play.
The Blue Devils dominated on the offensive finish, capturing 64.4% from the sector and 54.5% from deep. Additionally they transformed 19 free throws at an 82.6% clip. On the defensive finish, they held the Bears to 36.8% capturing from the sector and 32% from deep. They performed bodily on-ball protection, contesting with out fouling, solely permitting 10 free throw makes an attempt for Baylor. Solely two Baylor gamers—Omier and Edgecombe—shot above 50% from the sector for the sport.
“To win by this margin, I feel speaks to the extent of killer intuition that our guys have, the competitiveness and the connectivity,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer mentioned. “Candy 16 sounds nice, we all know it’s a fast turnaround, however we’re going to get pleasure from this one tonight after which get again to it.”
Duke will now face off in opposition to a well-recognized foe donning a unique jersey. The Blue Devils will tackle Caleb Love and the Arizona Wildcats within the Candy 16 on Thursday.
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