No. 3 Duke Edges Out No. 1 Michigan In 68-63 Finish Behind Cam Boozer’s Masterpiece

In what could very well be an early preview of the national championship game in a month and a half, the third-ranked Duke Blue Devils knocked off the top-ranked Michigan Wolverines on Saturday night.

Duke’s Cam Boozer Outduels Michigan’s Yaxel Landeborg To Lift Duke To Victory

Whenever two of the best players in the nation meet, you can expect to see a battle of mammoth proportions, and Boozer versus Lendeborg lived up to the hype and then some. However, it would be Boozer who would come up big to help lead Duke to the win, as he finished with a near triple-double of 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists, showcasing the soon-to-be NBA lottery pick’s fantastic all-around ability.

However, Lendeborg wouldn’t be outshone that much as his stat line also certainly impressed NBA scouts in D.C. tonight. The UAB transfer scored a game-high 21 points while also snagging 7 rebounds in the game. That 21-point performance would mark the second-highest point total in a game this season against a ranked opponent. Both Boozer and Lendeborg would account for over half of their team’s total points in the game.

Foul Trouble and Poor Guard Play Snaps Wolverines 11-Game Win Streak

While Landeborg was the star of the show for the Wolverines, the power of friendship would not possess enough strength in this game to help give Lendeborg the support necessary to pull out a win. The play of both Aday Mara and Elliot Cadeau would be the chink in Michigan’s armor tonight, as each player struggled in different aspects of the game.

For Mara, he would end up playing limited minutes as Michigan’s defensive anchor would get into early foul trouble, which allowed Duke to get into the paint at will in the game. Although Mara would finish with 10 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting performance from the field, his extended absence would be too much for the Wolverines to overcome in the loss.

For Cadeau, it was quite possibly the star junior’s worst outing of the season to this point, as he struggled to gain any rhythm on offense. Cadeau had just 8 points on a poor 1-for-8 shooting from the field, while also shooting just 1-for-6 from the three-point line as well. Both Mara’s absence on defense and Cadeau’s poor performance on offense served as the death knells in Michigan’s second loss of the season.

Michigan’s Reign Atop the AP Poll Ends As Quickly As It Began

After spending much of the season waiting for the Arizona Wildcats to falter, the Wolverines finally ascended to the top of the AP poll this week. The only issue with finally wearing the crown is the fact that everyone will also want a piece of it, and Duke made sure the crown didn’t stay on the Wolverines’ heads for long.

That is, however, not an indictment on Michigan’s play this season, as their current resume ranks among the best teams in college basketball history. Despite looking the part of an unstoppable juggernaut, minus a small hiccup in a loss against Wisconsin, the Wolverines’ loss against Duke once again proves that nothing is guaranteed in a sport as crazy as this one.

On the plus side, this loss won’t hurt them in either the polls or the Big Ten standings, as losing to a highly ranked non-conference opponent won’t hurt their overall resume that much. Following both Duke’s win and No. 4 Arizona’s huge win over No. 2 Houston earlier today, the Wolverines will likely fall to the No. 3 spot in the polls come Monday.