X factor: Duke basketball vs. Gonzaga

The Blue Devils are just one game away from an appearance in Indianapolis and the Final Four and can punch their ticket Sunday evening against No. 2 seed Gonzaga at 5:05 p.m. at NRG Stadium in Houston. Prior to each game this season, the Blue Zone will break down a player from each team who could be the key to success.

Duke: forward Amile Jefferson

Although Jefferson's performance in the tournament has been wildly inconsistent thus far, he could play an important role Sunday night against a Gonzaga team that boasts an explosive offense and the nation's best field goal percentage, especially if star center Jahlil Okafor gets into foul trouble or struggles for the second straight contest. Jefferson should come off the bench and will be tasked with protecting the paint against a Bulldogs team that is shooting a whopping 52.4 percent from the field this season. The Philadelphia native played 20 minutes Friday night in the Blue Devils' 63-57 win against Utah in the Sweet 16, in part because Duke had trouble matching up against a big Runnin' Utes frontcourt with Justise Winslow and Matt Jones at forward positions.

The Bulldogs do not have the height of Utah's frontcourt, but the lethal frontcourt combination of Przemek Karnowski, Kyle Wiltjer and Domantas Sabonis explains why Gonzaga has been able to get such high-percentage shots this season. If Okafor and Winslow cannot handle the Zag's height down low, look for Mike Krzyzewski to press Jefferson into action early and rely on his junior captain to help stymie the Bulldogs down low.

The jury is still out on what Jefferson's production on the offensive end will be, as the junior scored 10 points in the Blue Devils' second round win against Robert Morris, but failed to score against San Diego state two days later. Jefferson was more productive Friday against Utah, scoring four points and four rebounds in 20 minutes. Duke has enough offensive firepower to win with limited production from Jefferson, but if he can have a big game on the offensive end, the Blue Devils could have an easier road to Indianapolis.

Gonzaga: forward Domantas Sabonis

The true freshman has been Gonzaga's most productive bench player in the NCAA Tournament and has become a force to reckon with in the paint, averaging a near-double-double with 12.3 points and 9.3 rebounds through three games in the Big Dance. The Lithuania native will likely spell head coach Mark Few's more experienced post players in Karnowski and Wiltjer, but a pair of fresh and talented legs could be problematic for a Duke team that had its hands full Friday night with Utah post player Jakob Poeltl close to the rim.

With Few shuffling the trio of post players in and out, he will look to attack Okafor and Winslow down low and force the Blue Devils' talented freshmen superstars into early foul trouble. Sabonis' presence off the bench will assure that the Bulldogs will maintain this inside presence throughout the game and do not lose their edge in the froncourt, as the young Sabonis is more than capable of putting up big numbers against Duke if the Blue Devils aren't careful.