Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Blueblood battle
In a tournament defined by unpredictability, there will finally be a regional final that makes sense.
No. 1 Kansas and No. 2 Duke will square off in the Midwest final today for the last spot in the Final Four — and the stakes are huge even by Elite Eight standards.
OMAHA, Neb. — In a tournament defined by unpredictability, there will finally be a regional final that makes sense.
No. 1 Kansas and No. 2 Duke will square off in the Midwest final today for the last spot in the Final Four — and the stakes are huge even by Elite Eight standards.
Mike Krzyzewski is looking to break UCLA legend John Wooden’s record of 12 Final Four appearances. “When you start thinking about (breaking records) you can rationalize. And rationalization is one of the things that stops people from continued excel - lence, because they live in the past. And then they stop adapting and they stop getting hungry,” Krzyzewski said when asked about potentially passing Wooden in Final Four appearances.
Kansas Coach Bill Self, who recently joined Krzyzewski and Wooden in the Naismith Hall of Fame, is hoping to snap a two-year losing streak in regional finals and a 2-7 personal record in Elite Eights.
After scores of upsets produced some rather strange matchups elsewhere, it’ll be “Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk” vs. Coach K and the Blue Devils in a classic finale in Omaha.
“It’s great when you have two programs of this nature, this status in the history of our game play for a Final Four berth. I think it’s great for the sport,” Krzyzewski said.
As for the latest chapter in the Kansas-Duke series, the top-seeded Jayhawks (30-7) are more like a plucky underdog — at least by their high standards — while second-seeded Duke (29-7) and its cadre of ridiculously talented freshmen appear to be rounding into title-contending form. Duke is a betting favorite in the game even though it is the lower seed.
The Jayhawks have clawed their way into their third consecutive regional final as a No. 1 behind teamwork and a toughness that wasn’t always there in the winter.
Their last two victories, over Seton Hall and Clemson, came by just 4 points apiece — but Kansas has won six consecutive postseason games after tearing through the Big 12 Tournament.
“It’ll be a tough game. But it’s going to be a fun game,” Self said. “We know we’ve got our hands full. But we like to think they have their hands full too.”
Duke cruised through to the Sweet 16, but then had to survive a furious challenge from ACC rival Syracuse and its bewildering 2-3 zone on Friday night. The young Blue Devils have flourished under the leadership of senior captain Grayson Allen, who is 12-2 in the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re both here for a reason. It’ll be a good one,” Duke star Marvin Bagley III said.
For all the talk about the young stars on each team, each squad is run by a star senior guard coming off a so-so game. Devonte’ Graham, the Big 12 player of the year for Kansas, shot just 4 of 12 from the field in an 80-76 victory over Clemson, and Allen was just 3 of 14 on 3s in a 69-65 victory over the Orange.
But both Krzyzewski and Self expect their veteran stars to bounce back. “He’s the best intangibles guy we’ve ever had here,” Self said of Graham.
It’s a good thing that Kansas sophomore big man Udoka Azubuike is fully healthy after a strained knee ligament kept him out of the Big 12 Tournament, because Bagley promises to be a handful.
Bagley had 22 points and seven rebounds against Syracuse — no small feat considering how long and athletic the Orange were. Azubuike played an NCAA Tournament-high 25 minutes against Clemson, scoring 14 points with 11 rebounds. Keeping Azubuike out of foul trouble will be crucial for Kansas.