#1 Duke advances to 9th straight Sweet 16 - LSU & Big Baby Davis await

GREENSBORO, N.C., March 18 — After watching his two freshmen starters struggle against Southern in the first round of the N.C.A.A. tournament, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski did what he had to do to beat George Washington in the second round and prepare his team for a championship run.

He put the ball back in the hands of those freshmen. Given a second chance, point guard Greg Paulus and power forward Josh McRoberts demonstrated why they are so crucial to Duke's title hopes this season.

McRoberts had 14 points and 13 rebounds in the Blue Devils' 74-61 victory over George Washington on Saturday at Greensboro Coliseum. Paulus had 10 points and 6 assists, driving the lane early, then adding some late free throws to help lift Duke into the Round of 16.

The top-seeded Blue Devils (32-3) face fourth-seeded Louisiana State (25-8) on Thursday in the Atlanta Regional semifinals.