Duke relies on length, elite athleticism to beat Arizona and advance to Elite Eight
NEWARK, N.J. — Peeking out from beneath the back-to-back 3-pointers by Anthony Dell'Orso in the opening four minutes, sneaking a glance from behind the double-clutch floater by Jaden Bradley that extended Arizona's early lead shortly thereafter, were the intermittent glimpses of fragility and fool's gold that seemed destined — desperate, even — to undermine any bid for an upset at Prudential Center on Thursday night. To drain the life from three separate fan bases whose allegiances here at the Sweet 16 were temporarily aligned and fused by a shared disdain for Duke, the top seed in the East Regional and a perennial national championship contender. That the Blue Devils' boast three potential lottery picks, including presumptive No. 1 selection Cooper Flagg, the five-star freshman sensation and front-runner to be named Naismith College Player of the Year, has begun to bathe this season with an air of inevitability.
