The No.4-seeded Duke Blue Devils (23-10) take on the No.13-seeded UNC Wilmington Seahawks (25-7) in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The game gets underway at 12:15 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 17 and will air on CBS.
The Blue Devils lost to Notre Dame 84-79 in the 3 of the Atlantic Coast tournament. Grayson Allen was the game’s leading scorer, recording 27. The Seahawks, meanwhile, are coming off an 80-73 win over Hofstra in the 4 of the Colonial Athletic tournament. Craig Ponder shot 7-for-13 and led in scoring with 20 points.
Based on each team’s statistical profile, ball protection could play an integral role in this matchup. Duke commits the third-fewest miscues in the nation (TO% of 14.5%), while UNC Wilmington’s pesky defense forces the ninth-most (opponents’ TO% of 21.3%).
The Blue Devils enter the game with records of 23-10 Straight Up (SU) and 14-17-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Duke is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.37. Duke’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 6.0 three-pointers per game. Duke will look to take advantage of the Seahawks and their propensity to foul. UNC Wilmington ranks 349th in the nation in fouls, averaging 23.9 per game.
In the other locker room, the Seahawks have 25-7 SU and 14-13-1 ATS records.
This game will be the first meeting for Duke and UNC Wilmington in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Duke, ATS Winner – Duke
Notes
“Duke is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games “.
“Duke is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games “.
The Duke Blue Devils have the third-best offensive rating in the nation (119.9). The UNC Wilmington Seahawks have a defensive rating of 100.2 (ranked 42nd).
The UNC Wilmington Seahawks average 71.2 possessions per game and 1.113 points per possession. The Duke Blue Devils earn fewer possessions with 68.0, but they score more points with 1.199.
Duke has an average effective field goal percentage of 53.7%. UNC Wilmington is 2-3 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Duke Blue Devils average 23.0 three point attempts per game, and the UNC Wilmington Seahawks attempt 20.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Duke is 18-9 and UNC Wilmington is 11-4.
Duke ranks 85th in blocks per game with 4.2 and UNC Wilmington ranks 64th with 4.4 blocks per game.
Duke ranks 71st in offensive rebounding. UNC Wilmington ranks 149th in defensive rebounding.
The Duke Blue Devils make an average of 6.4 steals per game. When the UNC Wilmington Seahawks allow 6 or more steals, they are a formidable 10-1.
