March Madness Bracketology: What Duke, UConn and more have on the line in title games

It’s conference tournament championship Saturday with several conference tournament championship games on the docket for Saturday, including the ACC title game, Big East title and a few more. Duke survived Florida State on Friday night and earned a shot to defend its regular-season title against Virginia, the No. 2 seed in the conference. There’s not really much else Duke needs to prove, but it does have a lot to lose if it falls to Virginia on Saturday night. 

Same for UConn, who needs to beat St. John’s to win the Big East title on Saturday. The Huskies are on the cusp of getting the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. A win would seal that, and a loss would probably bump them to a No. 2 seed, depending on how things shake in the Big Ten and SEC Tournaments. 

Why Duke can’t afford another ACC Tournament scare in title game

Duke was inches away from losing to No. 8 seed Florida State in the ACC Tournament on Friday night. It was a humbling game the Blue Devils needed as they look to return to the Final Four for the second straight season. If they play like they did Friday night, it will give them a sour taste going into the NCAA Tournament. It may not seem like a lot, but getting the No. 1 seed is a whole lot better than getting a No. 2 seed. 

The Blue Devils have been on the losing end of the dreaded No. 15 vs. No. 2 seed upset in the NCAA Tournament. In a season where Duke has looked like the best team in college basketball, it would be a waste to not go on a tournament run. Cameron Boozer has been one of the best freshmen this season and after leading Duke to a win over Michigan this year, it’s clear the Blue Devils will be a force over the next few weeks. 

Why put that in jeopardy by possibly falling to the No. 2 seed with a loss. Because the Blue Devils are alr