The No. 6 BYU Cougars will take on the No. 11 Duquesne Dukes in the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Below we’ll preview both teams, including analysis and key stats while also providing our prediction. The BYU Cougars enter as 7.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook.
BYU
NET: 12
KenPom Overall: 16
KenPom O: 11
KenPom D: 47
Record: 23-10
Strength of Schedule: 52
Conference: Big 12
Conference Record: 10-8
Quad 1 Record: 6-8
The BYU Cougars return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021 and are on the hunt for their first tournament win since 2011. Led by Jaxson Robinson, BYU put together one of the country’s best offenses this season and pulled off multiple ranked wins against tough conference opponents. They ranked in the top 20 in the nation in points per game and in the top 10 in two-point shooting percentage.
Duquesne
NET: 83
KenPom Overall: 90
KenPom O: 156
KenPom D: 34
Record: 24-11
Strength of Schedule: 98
Conference: Atlantic 10
Conference Record: 10-8
Quad 1 Record: 2-3
For the first time since 1977, Dusquene is going dancing. The Dukes made an improbable run to the championship game in the Atlantic-10 conference tournament, and pulled off a win over VCU. It was a low scoring game, where Duquesne tends to excel, and guard Dee Dee Grant finished with a team-high 10 points. The Dukes forced VCU to shoot 36.2% from the field including 20.8% from three-point range. Duquesne forces its opponents to play at its tempo, which could help them pick up their first NCAA Tournament win since 1969.
Pick: BYU
Duquesne excels in low-scoring games, and BYU does not specialize in low-scoring games. The Cougars play fast and score often, and the Dukes will struggle to control the pace of play.