Tennessee basketball vs. Duke: Score prediction, scouting report in March Madness
ORLANDO, Fla. – Duke basketball will play Tennessee for a spot in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.
The Blue Devils (27-8), seeded fifth in the East Regional, and fourth-seeded Volunteers (24-10) play Saturday (2:40 p.m., CBS) inside the Amway Center. Duke had a smooth 74-51 win against Oral Roberts in the first round of March Madness, while Tennessee survived with a 58-55 victory against Louisiana.
The programs last met in the 2011 Maui Invitational, with Duke earning a 77-67 victory. Here’s a look at some things to know and a score prediction ahead of the Blue Devils’ second-round matchup with the Vols.
Duke, Tennessee all about defense
Tennessee has the third-best scoring defense in the nation at 57.9 points per game and ranks second in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com.
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Tennessee didn’t make a shot in the final five minutes of its win against Louisiana, but Duke shot nearly 50% against Oral Roberts. Winners of 10 straight, the Blue Devils have averaged 78.5 points over their past four games and have limited their opponents below their season scoring average 31 times, with a 27-4 record in those games.
Santiago Vescovi vs. Tyrese Proctor
Tennessee senior Santiago Vescovi and Duke freshman Tyrese Proctor are products of the NBA Global Academy in Australia. Vescovi, the Vols’ top scorer at 12.9 points per game, could be matched up with Proctor, arguably Duke’s top defender on the perimeter.
Proctor made things tough for Oral Roberts star Max Abmas, limiting the nation's seventh-leading scorer (22.2 ppg) to 12 points. Vescovi scored three points on three shots against Louisiana, but was averaging 16.7 points in the four games ahead of the NCAA Tournament.
Duke at full strength
After dealing with a string of injuries throughout the season, Duke finally has continuity with its full roster available. The Blue Devils have started the same lineup in 15 consecutive games and are 19-1 in games with its full complement of players. Duke's 10-game winning streak is its longest since reeling off 11 consecutive wins to start the 2017-18 season.
Duke vs. Tennessee score prediction
Duke 66, Tennessee 61: A game between two of the top defensive teams in the nation will come down to who has the player with the best ability to create something out of nothing. After back-to-back games with 23 points, Jeremy Roach will find a way to lead the Blue Devils to their 29th Sweet 16 appearance.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Tennessee basketball vs. Duke: Score prediction, scouting report
