2022 NCAA Tournament First Round: No. 2 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 15 Cal State Fullerton Titans
How to Watch:
- Date: Friday, March 18
- Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
- Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC
- TV: CBS
- Live Stream: NCAA.com
Tale of the Tape:
| No. 2 DUKE | STAT | No. 15 FUL |
| ACC | Conference | Big West |
| 28-6 | Record | 21-10 |
| 80.2 (9th) | Points Per Game | 70.3 (223rd) |
| 67.1 | Points Allowed Per Game | 66.2 |
| 0.6147 (16th) | RPI | 0.5292 (123rd) |
| 71st | Strength of Schedule | 225th |
| At-Large Bid | Bid | Automatic Bid |
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Duke leaders:
- Paolo Banchero, G, FR:16.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.2 ASG, 1.1 SPG
- Wendell Moore Jr., G/F, JR: 13.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 40.9% 3PT
Fullerton leaders:
- E.J. Anosike, F, SR: 16.5 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.8 APG, 51.8% FG
- Damari Milstead, G, SR: 12.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.0 SPG
Odds, Lines, and Past Performance:
- DUKE Moneyline: -2500
- FUL Moneyline: +1200
- Spread: Duke -18.5
- Over/Under: 135.5
- ATS Record: DUKE 17-15-1, FUL 16-11-2
- Over/Under Record: DUKE 19-14-1, FUL 12-17
Odds courtesy of Draftkings. For the latest odds, click here.
The Pick:
- The Blue Devils averagesthe 8th most points per game in the nation at 80.6 points per game. Much of that comes from inside the arc, as the Blue Devils rank just 153rd in three-point attempts per game despite being 24th in the nation in accuracy, connecting at a 37.6% clip.
- As with most of Coach K’s teams, this is a well-coached bunch that is 7th in the nation in assists per game and 21st in turnovers allowed, so they’re not going to give away the game.
- Banchero is certainly the name to watch in this game when it comes to future NBA prospects. The freshman is projected to be a top-five pick in this year’s NBA draft thanks to his tremendous athleticism and mobility for his 6’10” 250-pound frame. He creates his own shots rather easily and has good footwork in the paint, so his only weakness, if there is one, is that he’s not yet a knockdown shooter from outside.
- We already talked about the Blue Devils’ field goal efficiency, so the only real weaknesses on this squad, which could hurt them in later tournament games, are that they rank 126th in the nation in free-throw percentage and the 75.9 points per game they’ve allowed over their last ten games would rank 321st in the nation based on season-long averages.
