Handicapping Friday’s NCAA games

Markis McDuffie of Wichita State drives againt MiKyle McIntosh of Illinois State during the Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Tournament on March 5, 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri. Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

By The Boston Globe

March 17, 2017

1 minute to read

EAST REGIONat Greenville, S.C.2. Duke (27-8) vs. 15. Troy (22-14), 7:20 p.m., TBS:

Duke is now the formidable team it was projected to be in the preseason. The freshmen, most notably Jayson Tatum, have meshed with veterans like Luke Kennard and Grayson Allen. They’re going to be tough to stop. Troy’s best player is the well-bred Wesley Person, son of the former NBAer of the same name, and nephew of the Rifleman, Chuck Person.

7. South Carolina (22-10) vs. 10. Marquette (19-12), 9:50 p.m., TBS: The Gamecocks slumped near the end, losing six of their last nine, but they have a dynamic player in Sindarius Thornwell, a muscular presence in the paint at 6-5. Marquette, the best 3-point shooting team in the country, will live and die by that play.

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