ACC

Duke basketball's toughness to be tested vs James Madison in NCAA Tournament's Round of 32

Alex Abrami
Burlington Free Press

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — When No. 12 James Madison stormed to an upset over No. 5 Wisconsin on Friday night, Duke basketball had immediate flashbacks to last year's early exit at the NCAA Tournament.

The James Madison Dukes present a similarly bruising style as Tennessee did when it knocked off the Blue Devils in a March Madness Round of 32 game in 2023.

Fourth-seeded Duke (25-8) will chase a Sweet 16 berth vs. the Dukes (32-3) in Sunday's second-round game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Tip-off is set for 5:15 p.m. on CBS.

Watch: Select 2024 NCAA Tournament games live with Fubo (free trial)

"Yeah, it's kind of ironic. Coach (Jon Scheyer) talked about it (Saturday) morning. It's sort of the same matchup against Tennessee last year," Duke guard Tyrese Proctor said. "Two teams that are both physical, try and muck the game up, outbully you. Playing in that game last year is really going to help us this year."

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Duke coach Jon Scheyer said it could be "a long night" if his Blue Devils can't match the James Madison's desperation.

"I think for our guys, they remember that Tennessee game like it was yesterday. I can mention some other teams we've played this year that are really physical and really good, and I'll put James Madison up there with any of them," Scheyer said. "Ton of respect for them. But also for our guys. I feel there's no question we are ready for that, as well."

The Dukes play a faster tempo, too, than Duke and are averaging 84 points a game paced by a balanced attack starting with Terrance Edwards' 17.4 points per game and T.J. Bickerstaff's 13.4-point average.

"They play free offensively. They like to get downhill," Proctor said. "I think the more that we can be disciplined and just stay focused on us, and our defense has been good all year, but I think it's mainly going to be offensively for us not getting sped up and limiting our turnovers."

More:Duke basketball escapes Vermont's upset bid in March Madness, advances at NCAA Tournament

James Madison's season-opening win over Michigan State on the road caught the attention of Duke and Mitchell, who missed last year's NCAA tourney loss to Tennessee with an injury.

"Really good team. Only have three losses. That speaks to how good they are," Mitchell said. "So we cannot underestimate anyone because of their conference or anything like that. We know they are a good team and we are going to prepare hard for them.

"Us being tough and being together and fighting for 40 minutes is probably what's going to matter most."

More:How Duke basketball won at NCAA Tournament without Kyle Filipowski making a field goal

Proctor believes Duke can handle JMU's physicality.

"If we come out at the start of the game and throw the first punch, it's going to send a message to them," Proctor said. "And I think that's just what we need to do, just be the aggressors all night, and I think, you know, we'll take care of business."

Duke vs James Madison start time in NCAA Tournament

  • Date: Sunday, March 24
  • Time: 5:15 p.m.

Duke plays James Madison on Sunday (5:15 p.m, ET) at Barclays Center.

What channel is Duke vs James Madison in NCAA Tournament?

Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.

Watch: Select 2024 NCAA Tournament games live with Fubo (free trial)

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