Centers:

Binghamton: At the center position, the Bearcats are likely to play freshman Kyrie Sutton. However, as they have done for a majority of the season, the coaching staff may put senior forward Reggie Fuller into the role in favor of a smaller lineup.

Duke: For the Blue Devils, junior Brian Zoubek is a bona fide 7-footer, and is a known defensive presence. He chips in only about four points per game, but his presence makes him valuable.

Forwards:

Binghamton: Fuller is one of the only true forwards on the team, but generally plays center. Sophomore Moussa Camara is also a forward, but typically will match up against smaller guards, as he did exceptionally well against UMBC’s Jay Greene in the America East championship game.

Duke: Sophomore Kyle Singler is the team’s leading scorer (16.7 points per game) and rebounder (7.7 per game). He is also the leading shot blocker and steals leader. He is an all-around player, and a real tough assignment for any defender.

Guards:

Binghamton: Juniors Emanuel “Tiki” Mayben and D.J. Rivera are the heart and soul of Binghamton’s offense. They are explosive and exciting to watch. Both are capable of going for 20-plus points. Mayben is also a real threat in the assists category, while Rivera is a deceptively skilled rebounder for his size.

Duke: Perhaps where the Blue Devils have their greatest depth, juniors Gerald Henderson and Jon Scheyer, and sophomore Nolan Smith, offer three guard options that defenses must attempt to control. Henderson is second on the team in points per game (16.6) and is its second leading rebounder (4.8 per game), trailing only Singler in those categories. Scheyer is a deadly 3-point shooter, while Smith is always a scoring threat.

Bench:

Binghamton: Guards Malik Alvin and Chretien Lukusa are normally the first two players off the bench for the Bearcats, but both have received a decent amount of starts this season as well. Alvin is a good all-around player, while Lukusa is known as a shutdown defender. Camara is a good option in terms of both scoring and defense. He has a smooth stroke and can score in the double digits.

Duke: Senior Greg Paulus was a three-year starter before losing his job to Smith. He is also one of the team’s captains. He is an extremely gritty player, and can play huge games when given the opportunity. Junior forward Lance Thomas is statistically the team’s best shooter, but doesn’t normally put up huge numbers.

Coaching:

Binghamton: Kevin Broadus has done a remarkable job of not only making his team competitive in two short years, but also making it a championship-caliber team. He was awarded for that with the AE Coach of the Year award.

Duke: Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski is generally referred to as the greatest college coach of all time. He is already a Hall of Famer, and continues to rack up wins.

Overall:

Binghamton: In order to accomplish the mighty task of stopping the Blue Devils, the Bearcats will need to play extremely tight defense and make their opponents miss big shots. Stopping one player won’t be nearly enough; they’ll need to shut down the entire team.

Duke: The key to stopping Binghamton is containing Mayben and Rivera. Very few teams have succeeded in doing so.