According to Michigan legend Jalen Rose, Jon Scheyer’s Duke Blue Devils are masquerading as a title contender. Although they seem unbeatable on paper, top-ranked teams at March Madness could pounce on their fatal flaw.

Jalen Rose, a Michigan alum, pinpointed Duke’s weakness in the tournament on TNT Sports. “What’s going to be interesting for me—and I think while we’re not quote-unquote talking about Duke as much as you feel like they should—usually a good Duke team has multiple big-time players, right? Every time we talk about Duke, we’re only talking about one player, and so that’s going to be their problem today versus Michigan.”

Cameron Boozer is that one player, and this season, he’s putting on an amazing offensive show. He is a top contender for the National Player of the Year award. With 22.8 points per game, and 58.2% from the field, and 39.4% from three, and a 9.00 offensive Bayesian Performance Rating that is the best in the country, he has a great cause for it.

The Blue Devils face a crucial issue because their players lack the offensive skills needed to create their own scoring opportunities. The team faces difficulties because opposing teams focus their defensive strategies on containing Boozer’s scoring ability.

The game between Duke and Michigan is an acid test in that regard. With a 24-2 record and a balanced offense with multiple scoring threats, the Wolverines come in as the top-ranked team in the country.

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The NET rankings show both programs at their highest positions, while Michigan’s ability to score through multiple players creates defensive challenges for teams with only one star player. Rose explained that the structural difference between the teams created Duke’s major tournament problem because one player who received defensive coverage left his teammates unable to fill his absence.

Rose’s mention of the tournament reality goes beyond just one game. The NCAA selection committees create brackets every March by selecting 68 teams. Mid-tier seeds often knock out higher-seeded favorites that don’t have enough depth. Duke’s dependence on Boozer creates major challenges for teams because they must defend against one player while all other players struggle to score points.

Duke’s Boozer faces Michigan’s Lendeborg in a major matchup

When No. 1 Michigan plays No. 3 Duke at Capital One Arena on Saturday at 6:30 pm ET, it’s not just another ranked game. This is the hardest test Michigan has had all year. Duke has Boozer doing all the work, but Michigan is bringing its own star player who can compete with anyone in college basketball.

Yaxel Lendeborg is that player. He is 6’9″ and came to the team from UAB as the best player in the transfer portal. He scores 14.4 points, grabs 7.5 rebounds, and hands out 3.2 assists per game while making 50% of his shots. Duke depends on one player too much, but Lendeborg leads Michigan in a number of statistical categories, showing that the Wolverines can win in different ways every night.

The advanced numbers tell an even more interesting story. Boozer has the highest Offensive Rating in the country and the highest overall impact at 13.73. Lendeborg is right behind him with an overall score of 13.08, but he has the highest Defensive Impact Rating at 5.45. Both players are playing at a historic level.

The upcoming match on Saturday will demonstrate two opposing methods of thought. Boozer operates as a single-person demolition force while Lendeborg functions within a system that enables multiple players to achieve victory. Who do you think emerges victorious in this battle of a star carrying the team vs the team firing alongside a star?