No. 6 seed BYU (23-10) vs. No. 11 seed Duquesne (24-11)
Tip: 10:40 a.m. MDT.
Venue: CHI Well being Heart Enviornment in Omaha, Nebraska.
TV: TruTV.
Streaming: Max.
Radio: 102.7 FM/1160 AM.
Sequence: Duquesne leads 2-0.
The tendencies
For BYU: After ending the common season with an 85-71 win towards Oklahoma State, BYU beat UCF within the second spherical of the Massive 12 match. (The Cougars had a first-round bye.) However their run got here to an finish the subsequent day towards Texas Tech, thanks, partially, to BYU’s dangerous taking pictures day. Final yr and in 2022, the Cougars didn’t make the NCAA Match. In 2021, they misplaced to UCLA within the first spherical.
For Duquesne: The Dukes are using an eight-game win streak, which incorporates 4 wins eventually week’s Atlantic 10 Convention match. They beat VCU 57-51 on Sunday to say the convention crown. This yr is Duquesne’s first look within the NCAA Match since 1977.
Quotable
“Actually they’re going to really feel all of the juice that comes with taking part in on this match, however I feel we’re fairly ready to take care of these feelings,” mentioned BYU coach Mark Pope Wednesday. “I feel we’re simply desirous to race out and soar within the fray of this match and see what we are able to do. I really feel like our guys are in a great place.”
“This isn’t about me,” mentioned Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot, who introduced his retirement Monday. “It’s a couple of bunch of men that withstood an 0-5 begin within the league, confirmed sufficient resilience to energy their means again.”
The stakes
For BYU: The Cougars need to construct on a surprisingly profitable inaugural season within the Massive 12 and shake off recollections of a troublesome loss to UCLA within the first spherical of the NCAA Match in 2021.
For Duquesne: The Dukes hope to ship Dambrot into retirement in type by scoring an upset or two on this yr’s NCAA Match.
Gamers to look at
For BYU: BYU middle Aly Khalifa, who turned referred to as one among school basketball’s greatest passers this season, left final week’s Texas Tech sport with an ankle damage. Pope mentioned Wednesday that the crew is “hopeful” he’ll play Thursday. If he does, he’ll seemingly nonetheless be coping with lingering ache, along with the varied negative effects that include fasting for Ramadan.
For Duquesne: Guards Dae Dae Grant and Jimmy Clark III headline the Dukes’ offensive assault. Grant is averaging 16.7 factors per sport, whereas Clark is averaging 15.1. Clark can also be recognized for his protection and earned the nickname the “Pittsburgh Stealer” together with his ball-stealing abilities.