Jeremy Roach and the Duke Blue Devils are in for a tough fight this Friday. Following easy wins over the No. 13 Vermont Catamounts in the first round and against the No. 12 James Madison Dukes in the second round, Duke is expected to be put to an acid test in the Sweet 16 round versus the dangerous and No. 1 seed Houston Cougars.
The Blue Devils-Couagars game will take place at American Airlines Center in Dallas, which also means that Houston will technically have homecourt advantage, but that’s not something that seems to be bothering Roach.
Via CBS Sports College Basketball:
“Obviously we’re playing in Texas, basically like a home game for them. But we’re not worried. … We played in difficult environments all season so we’re kind of used to this.”
Duke Blue Devils Guard Jeremy Roach Dealing With Finger Issue Heading to Sweet 16 Showdown vs Houston
Mar 24, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Jeremy Roach (3) reacts against the James Madison Dukes in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Roach’s finger has been a point of concern among Blue Devils fans after the senior court general injured his pinky in the second round versus James Madison in which he scored 15 points and dished out seven assists in 34 minutes of action. He apparently suffered a dislocated finger but was able to finish that contest, a good sign for his availability for the Cougars game.
Moreover, Roach said that the finger issue is not going to prevent him from playing against Houston.
“It’s still pretty sore right now,” Roach revealed (h/t TMZ Sports), “but, it’s not gonna affect me for Friday.”
The Blue Devils are going to need all hands on deck against Houston, which is coming off a thrilling 100-95 overtime win against the No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies in the second round.
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