The Duke Blue Devils lead the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in a sizzling NCAA season bursting with energy. In contrast, the Kentucky Wildcats are in fifth place in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Wildcats have a competitive advantage over Duke in the race for the Final Four, although Cooper Flagg’s presence at Duke might make the team a popular favorite.

This influence of Flagg raises the crucial question of who has an advantage over whom. The eight-time winner of NCAA Kentucky is very obvious speculation, but Dukes has highlighted some significant success over the Wildcats this season. In a recent interview with Field at 68, Jerel Mcneal of Marquette expressed his views on the two teams, stating, “but I think it’s almost just the complete polar opposite almost of what we were just talking about with Duke. So Duke is young and those are the guys, but this is an older team, man.”

Kentucky is averaging 90.2 points per game, ranking second nationally. This offensive output is a testament to their fast-paced play and effective scoring strategies.

Lamont Butler’s Defensive Contributions have been remarkable, contributing 19 points, eight assists, and three steals in a recent victory over Florida.

Koby Brea’s impact secured a shooting percentage of 52% from beyond the arc. And in a recent face-off against Florida, Brea scored a career-high 23 points, including seven three-pointers, underscoring his offensive prowess. As a team led by HC Pope, the Wildcats have infused their contributions from multiple players rather than relying on a single star. all this gives them an edge over the Duke’s.“I feel like for them to make a Final Four run, and I was expecting this to happen going into the year a lot more where one of those older guards was going to kind of take the bull by the horns, and it’s like, okay, they may not be number one because they’re not Cooper Flagg” McNeal added to the interview. Kentucky has a competitive advantage over Duke in the race for the Final Four because of their game and experience player despite Cooper Flagg’s influence on Duke’s popularity.

Unseen Strengths: Why Kentucky’s Edge Over Duke in the Final Four Race Is Overlooked

Duke boasts an approach, with a strong defense complementing their scoring. They’ve held opponents to lower field goal percentages and have had dominant performances, such as their recent win over SMU. A prominent and highly celebrated player Cooper, consistently high scores this season. His impact has drawn attention away from the valuable contributions of Duke’s other players.

Cooper Flagg came up big for the Duke Blue Devils this season. In his first game of the 2025, he led Duke to another win, their eighth consecutive. In their recent 89-62 victory over SMU, Flagg delivered an outstanding performance, contributing 24 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks while shooting an efficient 7-of-12 from the field. Despite his significant impact on the game, it appears that media outlets continue to overlook his efforts.

Thus the excitement is at its peak, to have the final four teams to see moving towards the end of the season.