Michigan State Spartans NCAA Tournament Final Four: The Only Questions with Duke Basketball Report

JD King (@DBRtweetz) joined us for some questions. Be sure to check them out at Duke Basketball Report.

The Only Colors: Jahlil Okafor is a monster offensively, but has struggled a little bit in the last two games. What have Utah and Gonzaga done to bother him?

Duke Basketball Report: His greatest strength is his footwork. They double-teamed effectively, sometimes tripled, and he just couldn't move. Typically he has passed well out of that but didn't last weekend.

TOC: Duke appears to be pretty thin on the bench. Have there been times this year where that lack of depth has hurt them?

DBR: No, not really.  Duke's actually done better since losing Rasheed Sulaimon (17-1 since, 17-3 with Sulaimon). It's a good group.

TOC: Other than simply getting hot behind the arc, what have opponents done to score efficiently against the Blue Devils?

DBR: Earlier you could drive on Duke, but the defense has really tightened up lately. The improvement since late February is remarkable.

TOC: This Duke team is also really young - Winslow, Okafor, and Tyus Jones are all freshman. How have they handled the national spotlight?

DBR: Those guys are amazingly mature. So far it's been no problem at all. It's pretty amazing to see three young guys handle everything with such aplomb.

TOC: Is there a trick to Duke's low foul rate, in terms of scheme or personnel? I thought it might be interesting to ask, instead of just assuming a vast pro-Duke conspiracy.

DBR: Great preparation basically. Duke leaves little to chance. I'm sure the referees are graded and analyzed and prepared for just like opponents. Beyond that, just solid coaching. If there is any bias, it's unintentional. Referees really like being in charge and don't generally like being told what to do.

TOC: Score prediction?

DBR: Okay, I'll say Duke 78 Michigan State 72.

Thanks to JD for answering The Only Questions.