As Cooper Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils continue their bid for the 2025 NCAA Tournament title, they are set to face the No. 4 Arizona Wildcats next in the Sweet 16.
The Blue Devils are coming off two big wins in the opening rounds of March Madness. After destroying the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers 93-49, they followed it up by pummeling the Baylor Bears 89-66.Sure enough, Duke enters Thursday’s game with Arizona brimming with confidence.
While there are some concerns about Flagg’s overall health, particularly his recent eye injury, the projected No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft confirmed that he’s feeling good.Of course, the Wildcats can be difficult opponents. They have been well-tested in the NCAA Tournament so far, even surviving an 87-83 thriller against No. 5 Oregon Ducks to book their spot in the Sweet 16.
Nonetheless, while the Wildcats are the No. 4 seed, ESPN doesn’t see them putting up much of a fight against the Blue Devils.In its Matchup Predictor, ESPN gave Duke a 76 percent chance to win the game and move on to the Elite Eight. On the other hand, Arizona has just a 24 percent chance.
Of course, it remains to be seen if Jon Scheyer’s Duke squad can live up to the lofty expectations and dominate Arizona. If their previous meeting is any indication, though, the Blue Devils have a great chance to cruise to victory.
The two teams last met on Nov. 22, 2024, with the Blue Devils taking the 69-55 win. Flagg led Duke in the victory, bagging 24 points in addition to seven rebounds and three assists.
