No. 6 seed BYU (23-10) vs. No. 11 seed Duquesne (24-11)
Tip: 10:40 a.m. MDT.
Venue: CHI Properly being Center Enviornment in Omaha, Nebraska.
TV: TruTV.
Streaming: Max.
Radio: 102.7 FM/1160 AM.
Sequence: Duquesne leads 2-0.
The developments
For BYU: After ending the widespread season with an 85-71 win in the direction of Oklahoma State, BYU beat UCF throughout the second spherical of the Enormous 12 occasion. (The Cougars had a first-round bye.) Nevertheless their run acquired right here to an end the following day in the direction of Texas Tech, thanks, partially, to BYU’s unhealthy capturing day. Remaining 12 months and in 2022, the Cougars did not make the NCAA Match. In 2021, they misplaced to UCLA throughout the first spherical.
For Duquesne: The Dukes are utilizing an eight-game win streak, which includes 4 wins in the end week’s Atlantic 10 Conference occasion. They beat VCU 57-51 on Sunday to say the conference crown. This 12 months is Duquesne’s first look throughout the NCAA Match since 1977.
Quotable
“Really they’re going to essentially really feel all the juice that comes with participating in on this occasion, nonetheless I really feel we’re pretty able to handle these emotions,” acknowledged BYU coach Mark Pope Wednesday. “I really feel we’re merely determined to race out and bounce throughout the fray of this occasion and see what we’ll do. I actually really feel like our guys are in an amazing spot.”
“This isn’t about me,” acknowledged Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot, who launched his retirement Monday. “It is just a few bunch of males that withstood an 0-5 start throughout the league, confirmed adequate resilience to vitality their means once more.”
The stakes
For BYU: The Cougars must assemble on a surprisingly worthwhile inaugural season throughout the Enormous 12 and shake off recollections of a tough loss to UCLA throughout the first spherical of the NCAA Match in 2021.
For Duquesne: The Dukes hope to ship Dambrot into retirement in mannequin by scoring an upset or two on this 12 months’s NCAA Match.
Avid gamers to have a look at
For BYU: BYU coronary heart Aly Khalifa, who grew to turn into known as definitely one in every of college basketball’s best passers this season, left ultimate week’s Texas Tech sport with an ankle harm. Pope acknowledged Wednesday that the group is “hopeful” he’ll play Thursday. If he does, he’ll probably nonetheless be dealing with lingering ache, together with the various negative effects that embrace fasting for Ramadan.
For Duquesne: Guards Dae Dae Grant and Jimmy Clark III headline the Dukes’ offensive assault. Grant is averaging 16.7 elements per sport, whereas Clark is averaging 15.1. Clark may also be acknowledged for his safety and earned the nickname the “Pittsburgh Stealer” collectively together with his ball-stealing experience.