The Utah Utes and the Duke Blue Devils meet on Friday in the 2015 NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. The game, which tips off at 9:45 p.m. ET, can be watched for free via the live stream link listed below.
No. 1 Duke bounced back nicely from its ACC tournament loss to Notre Dame, blowing out Robert Morris in the second round, 85-56, and then San Diego State in the next round, 68-49. Freshman center Jahlil Okafor lead the Blue Devils in scoring with 26 points, senior guard Quinn Cook added 15 points and freshman forward Justise Winslow added 13 points and 12 rebounds.
"They're together," said coach Mike Krzyzewski, via ESPN. "We have talent, we're getting older by experience, and so we just -- we got better here these two games.
For Okafor, who's projected to declare for the NBA draft after the tournament and to be the first player off the board, finishing the season with a national title would be a dream ending to his freshman campaign.
"It would mean the world to me," Okafor said. "I've always wanted to win a national title. ... That's what [the freshmen] came to Duke to have an opportunity to win a national title. That is where all of my focus has been this season, and that is what it still is."
No. 5 Utah, meanwhile, earned a spot in the Sweet 16 after defeating Georgetown on Saturday, 75-64. Junior guard Brandon Taylor led the Utes in scoring with 14 points, one of five players to score double-digit figures, and senior center Dallin Bachynski led in rebounding with eight.
After inheriting a 6-25 team in 2011, Friday is at least somewhat validating for Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak, who's managed to turn around the program in just four seasons.
"Certainly I'm not predicting the future that we're going to turn Utah into Duke," Krystkowiak told the Associated Press. "But (Krzyzewski) reminded me that when he first started at Duke, it wasn't all roses and went through a period of about three, four years where there were questions about what was going on there."
Watch the live stream HERE, or listen to the radio broadcast HERE.
