SALT LAKE CITY - The road to the Final Four goes through a Chippewa.
The 11th seed in the West Regional, the Central Michigan Chippewas earned the right to take on the five-time defending ACC champions by defeating six seed Creighton Thursday.
The Blue Devils and Chippewas are set to face off in the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City at approximately 8:10 p.m. Saturday.
An experienced, muscular team, the Chippewas acquired their impressive 25-6 record by feeding off three impressive scorers and an aggressive man-to-man defensive style.
CMU's clear leader is 7-foot junior Chris Kaman. The MAC defensive player of the year and player of the year averaged 22.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game this season.
This tall Chippewa could prove problematic for Duke, as the Blue Devils sporadically struggled this season against talented big-men, most notably Georgetown's Mike Sweetney and Colorado State's Matt Nelson.
Duke said it is waiting to the last minute to create a plan for Kaman.
"I don't know too much about Central Michigan, and I shouldn't, but I will by tomorrow," Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "I do know they have the big kid."
Making things more complicated, Duke also is using a new, shorter squad with the 6-foot-3 Daniel Ewing recently joining the starting line-up. Do not expect Krzyzewski to make further changes, however, as the second tallest Central Michigan starter is listed at 6-foot-5.
In an optimistic sign for Central Michigan, the Chippewas proved they could play without their star Thursday.
Six-foot-5 senior Mike Manciel scored 15 points in the first half to lead Central Michigan to a 38-22 half-time lead after Kaman garnered his second foul with 9:48 left in the first half of its first-round game.
The second-team All-MAC selection continued to shine in the second half, finishing with a season-high 29 points in what he called the biggest game of his life.
"I told the guys we're in it to the finish," Manciel said. "I had open looks and stepped up and tried to knock them down."
The Chippewas third scoring option is six-foot senior J.R. Wallace, who drops in 14.4 points per game. Splitting point-guard duties with 6-foot-3 junior T.J. Meerman, Wallace is an excellent penetrator, bullying past defenders with his impressive upper-body strength.
"Duke is one of the top teams in the country," Wallace said. "It will be a big challenge, but we're looking forward to it."
Central Michigan's fifth starter is 6-foot-3 sophomore forward Tony Bowne, the only underclassman to play significant minutes for the Chippewas.
Also displaying a strong physique, Bowne demonstrates that Central Michigan has benefited from long hours in the weight room.
The chiseled Chippewas must continue to have great conditioning if they are to continue their success, as they uses their bench very rarely.
This problem emerged in its first round win over Creighton, as after Central Michigan built a 26 point lead, the Blue Jays came roaring back before falling 79-73.
"I was really extremely tired out there," Kaman said.
With its significant depth, Duke should be able to exploit a fatigued Central Michigan team in the second half Saturday.
The Chippewas, however, remain confident.
"It's our next game," Manciel said. "We'll just prepare for it, and whatever comes, but it's always about us. If we take care of ourselves, we'll be just fine."
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