Of the four potential matchups in the men’s NCAA national championship game, two are rematches of regular-season contests: Auburn-Duke and Auburn-Houston.
Major credit to Auburn for playing the schedule it did, seeking out the Cougars in Houston and beating Iowa State, North Carolina and Memphis in the Maui Invitational. A trip to Duke was scheduled for the Tigers the week after Maui as part of the SEC/ACC Challenge.
If your preference is to steer clear of rematches in favor of a pairing we haven’t seen yet, I don’t blame you. But after that contest in early December, I believe the most interesting title game matchup would be Auburn-Duke, Round 2.
Duke defeated Auburn 84-78 that night in Durham, and until Feb. 8, it was the only blemish on Auburn’s record as it built a reputation as the best team in the country.
If you missed that game, it’s Exhibit A for why casual sports fans should start watching college basketball long before the third week of March.
Auburn played an incredible game in the face of the Cameron Crazies, finishing with more 3-pointers, rebounds and assists than Duke. The Tigers led for most of the first 13 minutes before Duke steadily climbed into the lead and held them at bay.
In an extremely well-played game where the teams combined for just 12 turnovers, Duke forced Auburn to miss seven straight shots down the stretch. And Cooper Flagg, in just his eighth college game, got the best of Auburn star Johni Broome in the battle of player of the year candidates.
Flagg finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals, two blocks and zero turnovers, while Broome had a 20-point, 12-rebound night but fouled out. As CBS Sports noted at the time, Auburn tried six different defenders on Flagg—and the freshman phenom scored a bucket on all of them.
That’s why a rematch could be so fascinating. Bruce Pearl probably doesn’t get enough credit for his coaching. How might he try to cover Flagg this time? Duke is littered with 3-point marksmen ready to fire if you try to double one man.
In return, can Duke’s strict defense contain Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara, Miles Kelly and Tahaad Pettiford? The individual matchups at both ends are mouthwatering.
“That was a heck of a two hours right there,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer chuckled after beating Auburn. “I thought it was a big-time college basketball game. We felt like coming in, Auburn’s as good as anybody. I think they showed that tonight, their shot-making, their physicality, their depth.”
Auburn first must get past Florida in the semifinals—yet another rematch after the Gators won the only meeting during SEC play, 90-81. It’ll be a terrific watch in its own right, as Florida pushed its way into the conversation with the Blue Devils and Tigers for the best teams in the country by winning the SEC championship.
But I hope Duke and Auburn run it back. An electric national title game could await Monday night.
