No. 1 seed primer: Duke

As long as Duke doesn't wind up with a date with Notre Dame, the Blue Devils should be in line for another deep run in March under head coach Mike Krzyzewski. The Fighting Irish handed Duke half of the Blue Devils' four losses this season, with the other two coming in back-to-back games during early ACC play.

This marks the first time since 2011 that Duke received a No. 1 seed and the 13th time overall since the tournament began seeding teams in 1979. The Blue Devils have bowed out early in recent seasons, however, losing in the round of 64 in two of the last three years.

While not as dominant as Kentucky, Duke enters the Big Dance as one of the highest scoring teams in the nation and if the defense can hold up, the Blue Devils are built to give the Wildcats a run.

Record: 29-4
Conference record: 15-3
Conference tournament result: Lost to Notre Dame 74-64 in ACC semifinal 
Odds to win it all: +600
Points per game: 80.6 (4th)
Points allowed per game: 65.6 (145th)
Rebounds per game: 37.33 (43rd)
Assists per game: 15.5 (22nd)
Worst loss: vs. Miami - 90-74, Jan. 13 

Player to watch: Jahlil Okafor

The favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the next NBA draft, the Blue Devils had some high expectations for Okafor, but the freshman center lived up to them all and then some. 

Okafor became the first freshman to be named ACC Player of the Year, leading Duke in scoring (17.7), rebounding (nine) and blocks (1.4) per game while shooting 66.9 percent from the field.

Any opponent will have their hands full trying to shut down Okafor, but that's what they'll need to do in order to eliminate Duke. 

Biggest strength: Balanced scoring

While Okafor is the straw that stirs the drink, he's not the only offensive weapon the Blue Devils have in their arsenal. Duke boasts four players averaging over 11.5 points, which makes it difficult to defend such a balanced attack.

The biggest advantage the Blue Devils have is their ability to knock down 3-pointers. While Okafor locks down the middle, the other three scorers averaging double-digits (Quinn Cook, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones) all connect on over 38 percent of their shots from beyond the arc. 

That balance will become extra important during the tournament. If an opponent is able to contain Okafor, Duke's ability to hit from the outside could be huge.

Biggest weakness: Defense

As much as the Blue Devils like to score, they don't always seem to put the same kind of effort into preventing their opponents from doing the same. Allowing over 65 points per game, Duke ranked 145th in the nation, and that number rose to 69 points per game in conference play.

With challenging opponents at every step during the tournament, the Blue Devils could find themselves in serious trouble coming up against a team particularly efficient on offense.