AS EXPECTED, the Duke Blue Devils have advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA National Tournament, taking care of business against the Alabama Crimson Tide to claim a 20-point win over the weekend.

The Blue Devils are still the team to beat in men’s college basketball, and came into Saturday’s clash against the Crimson Tide as favourites. With a stacked roster with up to three lottery selections set to transition to the NBA in June, Duke is as stacked as ever and takes a serious amount of stopping.

Although the Crimson Tide fought bravely to stay in the match, the Blue Devils are simply too formidable of an outfit to overrun, and the title favourites cruised home to an 85-65 triumph, setting up a blockbuster clash against the Houston Cougars in the Final Four.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be casting an eye over how the key players performed in the match, as some of the NCAAM’s best and brightest continue to display their craft on a nightly basis.

Duke Blue Devils (85) def. Alabama Crimson Tide (65)

DUKE BLUE DEVILS:

#2 Cooper Flagg
Forward | 21/12/2006 | 206cm

Although he did not reach the heights of his previous performance where he erupted for 30 points, Flagg was still able to shine throughout the win against the Crimson Tide, and lost no fans for his performance against Alabama. He started the game in perfect fashion, nailing his first three-pointer to get the Blue Devils off to a flying start. Flagg missed his next few shots, with Alabama putting maximum attention into making his life as difficult as possible. However, he still generated scores by driving past his opponents and finishing at the cup to still pour in 10 points in the first half. He finished the game with 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists on 6/16 shooting from the field.

#5 Tyrese Proctor
Guard | 01/04/2004 | 198cm

The Aussie was back to his best in the win over the Crimson Tide, again adapting to his new off-ball role and hitting the scoreboard to be one of the most impactful offensive players in the match. After pouring in 25 points in Duke’s opening clash, Proctor was again efficient with ball in hand and nailing some important shots for the Blue Devils. He had five quick points in the first half after splashing home his first triple of the match and stealing the ball and scoring in transition on the very next possession. He was able to score across all three levels, and put an exclamation point on the win with a late three-pointer. Proctor finished the game with 17 points on 7/10 shooting, boosting his draft stock once again.

#7 Kon Knueppel
Guard | 03/08/2005 | 201cm

The best player on the floor for either side, Knueppel was simply excellent against Alabama, and his impact was reflected in his statline. With a game-high 21 points on 6/15 shooting from the field and 7/7 shooting from the charity stripe, he was able to pick up the slack given the defensive attention Flagg received. Knueppel was particularly aggressive in the first 10 minutes of the game, firing off shots from long range as the Blue Devils got on top. He was also incredibly composed with ball in hand, making clever passes when he drew the defence in and seeing the court extremely well with five assists alongside his five rebounds in a terrific performance.

#9 Khaman Maluach
Center | 14/09/2006 | 218cm

It was another rock solid performance from Maluach, who again owned the paint against the Crimson Tide and was a massive influence on both ends of the floor. Along with Flagg, the big man came awfully close to a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds and also produced a pair of blocks and a steal in a tremendous two-way showing. The big man is always active off the ball on the offensive end and is a lob threat at all times, which will be extremely valuable for point guards when he reaches the NBA. Shooting 6/7 from the field, he never forced up a shot and was a reliable finisher when rolling to the basket.

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE:

#0 Labaron Philon
Guard | 24/11/2005 | 193cm

The Freshman was a shining light on a tough night for the Crimson Tide, picking up the slack on a quiet night from star guard Mark Sears and putting in a very respectable offensive performance. Philon was aggressive with ball in hand, looking to take the defender off the dribble and was not afraid to fire off a shot in an attempt to match the output the Blue Devils were delivering. He was particularly damaging from behind the arc, where he nailed three of his six attempts and looked consistently dangerous shooting the ball off the catch. He finished the contest with 16 points on 4/9 shooting from the field to lead all-comers for Alabama and can hold his head high to close out the Crimson Tide’s campaign.