Colorado State at Duke
GAME: No. 14 Colorado State (19-13) vs. No. 3 Duke (24-6).
REGIONAL: West, first round.
TIME: Thursday, 9:50 p.m. EST.
SITE: The Jon M. Huntsman Center; Salt Lake City.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski isn't concerned that his Blue Devils aren't entering the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed this March. In fact, he's looking forward to the challenge.
"We are excited about everything," Krzyzewski said upon learning his Blue Devils would be sent to the West Regional as a No. 3 seed, ending Duke's five-year run as a No. 1.
"We are in a very difficult region, but any region is going to be difficult. The main thing we are trying to focus on now is getting our kids ready for Colorado State."
Duke usually enters the tournament as one of the favorites to win it, but this time might not even be favored to win its regional. The Blue Devils are in what is regarded as the most difficult region, seeded behind No. 1 Arizona and Kansas.
"I think our region has two number ones," Krzyzewski said. "I am not knocking any of the other ones but Kansas is pretty good."
The Blue Devils are coming off their fifth straight ACC tournament title and now begin their quest for their second national championship in three years and fourth overall under Krzyzewski.
Krzyzewski will employ a smaller, quicker lineup against the Rams on Thursday, inserting guard Daniel Ewing in the starting lineup.
Ewing averaged 20.7 points during the ACC tournament, and impressed his coach even more with his demeanor on the floor as Duke rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit to beat North Carolina State in Sunday's title game.
"The kids took ownership of their team," Krzyzewski said. "Leadership doesn't always happen, but when it happens it's a beautiful thing. That's what happened this weekend.
"Now we have to keep it going, but that doesn't mean we're like some amazing team. We're a better basketball team and that makes us play better."
The Rams earned their first trip to the tournament since 1990 the hard way, rallying from a 10-point second-half deficit to stun UNLV 62-61 in Saturday's Mountain West title game.
Brian Greene scored 22 points, including the game-winning jumper with 5.7 seconds to play.
"Considering everything that was up against us, I don't know how we did it," said Greene, a senior forward who is making his first postseason appearance. "We had so many chances to give up and quit and call it a good season, but we just wouldn't stop."
The Rams, who suffered through a seven-game conference losing streak before getting hot last week, knocked off Wyoming, regular-season champion BYU and the Runnin' Rebels to earn their seventh tournament berth.
"This is a dream come true," senior center Matt Nelson said. "None of us have tasted the postseason. It's going to be a great run."
These teams have never met.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Colorado State - F Greene, F Darian Burke, C Nelson, G Andy Birley, G Shelton Johnson. Duke - F Shelden Williams, F Dahntay Jones, G J.J. Redick, G Ewing, G Chris Duhon.
TEAM LEADERS: Colorado State - Nelson, 16.9 ppg; Greene, 6.1 rpg; Michael Morris, 3.6 apg. Duke - Jones, 17.0 ppg; Williams, 5.8 rpg; Duhon, 6.7 apg.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Colorado State - Automatic bid, Mountain West Conference tournament champion. Duke - Automatic bid, ACC tournament champion.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: Colorado State - 3-8, 7 years. Duke - 75-23, 26 years.
A little cut and paste action for all the Duke fans...
GAME: No. 14 Colorado State (19-13) vs. No. 3 Duke (24-6).
REGIONAL: West, first round.
TIME: Thursday, 9:50 p.m. EST.
SITE: The Jon M. Huntsman Center; Salt Lake City.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski isn't concerned that his Blue Devils aren't entering the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed this March. In fact, he's looking forward to the challenge.
"We are excited about everything," Krzyzewski said upon learning his Blue Devils would be sent to the West Regional as a No. 3 seed, ending Duke's five-year run as a No. 1.
"We are in a very difficult region, but any region is going to be difficult. The main thing we are trying to focus on now is getting our kids ready for Colorado State."
Duke usually enters the tournament as one of the favorites to win it, but this time might not even be favored to win its regional. The Blue Devils are in what is regarded as the most difficult region, seeded behind No. 1 Arizona and Kansas.
"I think our region has two number ones," Krzyzewski said. "I am not knocking any of the other ones but Kansas is pretty good."
The Blue Devils are coming off their fifth straight ACC tournament title and now begin their quest for their second national championship in three years and fourth overall under Krzyzewski.
Krzyzewski will employ a smaller, quicker lineup against the Rams on Thursday, inserting guard Daniel Ewing in the starting lineup.
Ewing averaged 20.7 points during the ACC tournament, and impressed his coach even more with his demeanor on the floor as Duke rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit to beat North Carolina State in Sunday's title game.
"The kids took ownership of their team," Krzyzewski said. "Leadership doesn't always happen, but when it happens it's a beautiful thing. That's what happened this weekend.
"Now we have to keep it going, but that doesn't mean we're like some amazing team. We're a better basketball team and that makes us play better."
The Rams earned their first trip to the tournament since 1990 the hard way, rallying from a 10-point second-half deficit to stun UNLV 62-61 in Saturday's Mountain West title game.
Brian Greene scored 22 points, including the game-winning jumper with 5.7 seconds to play.
"Considering everything that was up against us, I don't know how we did it," said Greene, a senior forward who is making his first postseason appearance. "We had so many chances to give up and quit and call it a good season, but we just wouldn't stop."
The Rams, who suffered through a seven-game conference losing streak before getting hot last week, knocked off Wyoming, regular-season champion BYU and the Runnin' Rebels to earn their seventh tournament berth.
"This is a dream come true," senior center Matt Nelson said. "None of us have tasted the postseason. It's going to be a great run."
These teams have never met.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Colorado State - F Greene, F Darian Burke, C Nelson, G Andy Birley, G Shelton Johnson. Duke - F Shelden Williams, F Dahntay Jones, G J.J. Redick, G Ewing, G Chris Duhon.
TEAM LEADERS: Colorado State - Nelson, 16.9 ppg; Greene, 6.1 rpg; Michael Morris, 3.6 apg. Duke - Jones, 17.0 ppg; Williams, 5.8 rpg; Duhon, 6.7 apg.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Colorado State - Automatic bid, Mountain West Conference tournament champion. Duke - Automatic bid, ACC tournament champion.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: Colorado State - 3-8, 7 years. Duke - 75-23, 26 years.
A little cut and paste action for all the Duke fans...