Duke team capsule

Duke (29-5)

COACH: Mike Krzyzewski, 30 years at Duke, 26 years in NCAA Tournament

HOW THEY GOT IN: Automatic bid (ACC)

MATCHUP BREAKDOWN: A No. 16 seed has ever beaten a No. 1 in the NCAA Tournament, and that streak doesn't figure to end here. Arkansas-Pine Bluff has shared the court with several heavyweights -- Kansas State, Missouri, Georgia Tech among others -- this season but didn't stay within 12 points of any of them. Defense is UAPB's strength, and it won't keep pace if the game turns into a track meet. They don't have a go-to guy -- or any player averaging as many as 12 points per game -- if the game gets tight. And they aren't 3-point marksmen, shooting 31 percent as a team for the season. Duke's Kyle Singler has been on a recent tear, going 14-of-32 from 3-point range over his last six games. He was 34-of-70 over a five-game stretch until going just 3-of-15 from the field in the ACC tourney finale against Georgia Tech.

GO-TO GUYS: Duke's trio of senior G Jon Scheyer, junior F Kyle Singler and junior G Nolan Smith may be unmatched anywhere in the country on the perimeter. They were among the top seven vote-getters in All-ACC balloting by the media. Scheyer and Singler were first and fourth, respectively, in 3-point field goals per game in the ACC (No. 1 and 3 in conference action), and Smith hit 40.4 percent from behind the arc. All together, the trio accounts for nearly 70 percent of Duke's point production, with each of them topping the 500-point mark in the regular season.

THEY'LL KEEP WINNING IF: Senior Brian Zoubek keeps up his recent pace. He began asserting himself as the season wore on and, more important, stayed healthy. Zoubek was in double figures in rebounds in four of his last seven regular-season games and gave the Blue Devils an intimidating presence inside that they've lacked in recent years. Scheyer had a few off nights in the ACC tournament, and teams that clamp down on the Duke perimeter shooters can force the offense into a stagnant state. Scheyer can't be aggressive enough -- he makes over 90 percent of his foul shots -- when his jumper doesn't fall. Duke got back to the NCAA regional semifinals last season after a two-year absence, and there's no question that with Mike Krzyzewski (71-22 in NCAA games) on the bench, they will be well-prepared for whatever they face.

STRENGTHS: The Blue Devils are strong on the perimeter on both ends of the court, shooting 38.9 percent from 3-point range for the season while holding opponents to just 27.2 percent (second nationally), and they don't make any stupid mistakes. With Zoubek and Lance Thomas willing to do the dirty work, they have the inside force to complement their 3-point game. They also are one of the top defensive clubs in the country, holding opponents to fewer than 62 points a game in the regular season.

WEAKNESSES: If Singler and Scheyer aren't hitting from long range, the Blue Devils will struggle to score, as their inside players aren't big point producers. The Blue Devils shot under 40 percent in each of their last three defeats in the regular season, but the real killer came at the other end of the court. North Carolina State, Georgetown and Maryland combined to shoot 59.2 percent from the field in beating the Blue Devils.