Duke-Arizona Sweet 16 matchup will complete March Madness trilogy

In 2001, Duke defeated Arizona in the national title game, 82-72. It would be the third national championship of head coach Mike Krzyzewski's tenure.

A decade later, in 2011, the Wildcats got their revenge, this time in the Sweet 16. Led by head coach Sean Miller, Arizona eliminated Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils, 93-77.

That team went on to lose to eventual national-champion Connecticut, 65-63, in the Elite Eight.

This year, the blue blood programs will meet at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey in a Sweet 16 rematch.

It'll be a matchup highlighted not only by the immense talent featured on both rosters — all eyes will naturally be on Duke freshman Cooper Flagg — but also a classic ACC rivalry creeping into the mix.

Arizona senior Caleb Love is extremely familiar with his team's upcoming opponent. He played three seasons in Chapel Hill for the North Carolina Tar Heels, which included an epic 81-77 Final Four victory over Duke in 2022.

"We'll be ready for them when it's time," Love said Sunday after Arizona defeated No. 5-seed Oregon 87-83 in the second round.

Love is 5-4 against Duke in his career, including a 69-55 loss at home in November, but the only stat he'll care about on Thursday is going 2-0 in games that end the Blue Devils' season.