Richard Shiro/Associated Press
The N.C.A.A. tournament’s second weekend opens Thursday with one of the two chalkiest brackets in history. There are high-seeds galore. The good news is virtually all the matchups are strong and relatively even.
EAST REGION (Washington, D.C.)
No. 1 Duke (31-6) vs. No. 4 Virginia Tech (26-8)
Throw out Duke’s 0-1 record against the Hokies this year: it came during the six-game stretch when Zion Williamson was sidelined with a sprained knee, and the Blue Devils without Williamson are like Sinatra with a cold. But now consider the how the teams have been playing.