Duke Is on Top but Can’t Relax

After getting Zion Williamson back from a knee injury and winning the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Duke was named the overall No. 1 seed in the N.C.A.A. field. The Blue Devils will be a heavy favorite to storm to the Final Four in Minneapolis, but it won’t necessarily be a cakewalk. The biggest obstacle could be Michigan State, which shared the Big Ten regular-season title and won the conference tournament. Michigan State had perhaps the strongest case to peel off one of the A.C.C.’s No. 1 seeds, yet it somehow wound up with a tougher road than Michigan, which is the No. 2 behind Gonzaga in the West.

The Matchups

1. Duke (29-5) vs. 16. N.C. Central/N. Dakota St.

8. Virginia Commonwealth (25-7) vs. 9. Central Florida (23-8)

5. Mississippi State (23-10) vs. 12. Liberty (28-6)

4. Virginia Tech (24-8) vs. 13. St. Louis (23-12)

3. Louisiana State (26-6) vs. 14. Yale (22-7)

6. Maryland (22-10) vs. 11. Belmont/Temple

7. Louisville (20-13) vs. 10. Minnesota (21-13)

2. Michigan State (28-6) vs. 15. Bradley (20-14)

Duke’s Freshman Superstar (the Other One)

Long before Zion Williamson Mania swept America this season, a Canadian was the “it” guy in Duke’s freshman class.

R.J. Barrett, a 6-foot-7 product of Mississauga, Ontario, was the No. 1 player in his high school class and the projected No. 1 pick in the N.B.A. draft right up until the start of the season. The son of the former St. John’s player Rowan Barrett and Kesha Barrett (formerly Kesha Duhaney), a nationally ranked sprinter and long jumper for the Red Storm, Barrett had high-level athletics in his genes.

After deciding to further his basketball career at an American prep powerhouse, the left-handed Barrett last year led Florida’s Montverde Academy to a 35-0 record and a national championship while sweeping every major national player of the year award.

That could have led to some friction, or even jealousy, between Williamson and Barrett, both of whom were already being discussed as potential lottery picks before they chose a college. But what many don’t know is that Barrett helped persuade Williamson to commit to Duke. Their friendship blossomed in a group chat started by yet another Duke recruit, the freshman point guard Tre Jones, who had set it up after he committed in an effort to persuade Barrett and Williamson to join him in Durham, N.C.

That early familiarity eased the initiation of all three players into the rigors of A.C.C. basketball — and to life together on one of the country’s best teams.

“The beauty of this year’s team is that they’re very comfortable with who they are, so there’s not a lot of jealousy,” the former Duke star Grant Hill said. “There’s a real friendship and bond, particularly with those young guys, so there’s not this competitive rivalry.”

Only after the college basketball world saw exactly how uncommonly powerful and explosive Williamson is did Barrett “slip” to the projected No. 2 pick in this year’s N.B.A. draft. Yet it is the silky Barrett who leads the Blue Devils in scoring at nearly 23 points a game, all while nearly matching Williamson in rebounds and Jones in assists.

And while many contemplate Williamson’s seemingly unlimited upside, there are some who believe Barrett’s all-around game and 6-foot-7 frame make him — at the moment — a more polished fit for the N.B.A.

“We’ll definitely be happy for each other,” Barrett told NCAA.com last month of the prospect of going first and second in the draft with Williamson. “Whoever goes 1 or 2, it doesn’t really matter to us. I’m going to be happy for my brother. We’ve both been working for this for a long time, so we’re just happy to see each other succeed.”

The Turner Sports analyst Charles Barkley is among the group who contend Barrett still deserves consideration for the No. 1 overall pick. It is Barrett, after all, not Williamson, who set the A.C.C. freshman scoring record with 779 points this season. He is also averaging 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

“His skill set is Jalen Rose, James Harden, somewhere in between there,” Barkley said last week at an event in Manhattan. “You can’t tell until you get to the pros.” ADAM ZAGORIA

Names in the News

The East Region features more than a whiff of scandal. Louisiana State’s coach, Will Wade, was suspended after he was reported to have boasted on a wiretapped phone conversation about making an offer to a recruit; the Tigers will take on Yale, whose athletic department (though not its basketball team) was drawn into the middle of a sprawling college admissions scandal. In another matchup, Minnesota, coached by Richard Pitino, will face Louisville, which fired his father, Rick, in 2017. KEVIN DRAPER

Belmont Sneaks In

Belmont won 26 games but had to sweat out Selection Sunday after losing to Murray State in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament final. The reward for the Bruins’ patience is a midweek game against Temple, but that is still better than watching from home. KEVIN DRAPER

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