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This is one of those questions you raise an eyebrow and shake your head at, wondering exactly what was going through the mind of the individual who put this one forth. There is really no great mystery to the question really... OF COURSE DUKE IS GOING TO MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT.

They currently are sixth in the ACC, which may not sound like anything to brag about, but with the surprising play of many teams in the conference, it is still impressive that they are above .500 in league play. Are they vintage Duke? No. Do they have a superstar that can carry them into contention for the national title? They haven't showed it. But they are still a tournament worthy team. They beat Gonzaga, Indiana, Georgetown, and Air Force in non-conference play, all teams that will very likely make the tournament, with the possible exception of Gonzaga. They beat Clemson and BC when they were ranked.

The Blue Devils are inconsistent, but when they are on, as the game against BC recently showed, they are a force to be reckoned with. They are flying below expectations and would be an underdog against virtually any opponent, based on the popular sentiment that they are soft this year. That notion, with the good nonconference wins, should be more than enough to put Duke into the tournament, with the label of "brackbuster"? Why not label them that way? No one has them winning much of anything come tournament time, even though they are still more than capable of going two or three games into it. Look for Duke to turn a few heads, WHEN THEY MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT, with either an early exit or a possible sweet sixteen run.

Learn more about this author, Robert Solis.
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