𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

• When: 5:05 p.m. ET, CBS
• Line: Duke -4.5
• The Athletic’s projection: Duke, 66 percent

First look: The sixth NCAA Tournament meeting between these teams should be a good one.

Even if you’ve been focused on other teams, you’ve probably seen Duke twins Cayden and Cameron Boozer on several commercials, which tells you something about their star power. Cameron Boozer was the first Division I player in three decades to finish a regular season with at least 700 points, 300 rebounds, 100 assists and a field goal percentage above 50 percent. He had another double-double in the Sweet 16 (22 points, 10 rebounds) against St. John’s to help Duke win its 14th consecutive game.

The Huskies have rebounded well from a 20-point loss to St. John’s in the final of the Big East tournament. They pulled away from Furman in the first round and beat UCLA by 16 in the second before edging Michigan State on Friday night. UConn has won with balance; five different players entered Friday averaging double figures, led by center Tarris Reed Jr.

What’s at stake? Jon Scheyer has done well since succeeding Mike Krzyzewski, with three consecutive Elite Eight appearances and a Final Four. But the ultimate goal (a national title) remains elusive. Getting back to the Final Four seems like a baseline expectation for a team that has been a championship favorite for most of the last two seasons and has one of the nation’s top players in Cameron Boozer.

UConn can continue bolstering its claim as arguably the top current program in the sport. A victory would put the Huskies in the Final Four for the third time in four seasons after back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. Coach Dan Hurley’s NCAA Tournament winning percentage (.782) just passed Ohio State’s Fred Taylor for No. 3 all time. Another Final Four would inch him closer to John Wooden (.825).

Reason to be excited: It’s a matchup between two of the game’s biggest brands with a trip to the Final Four on the line. It sells itself.