After a dreadful week with no meaningful college basketball (sorry, NIT), the Final Four arrived to lift me out of my depression. The first game pitted ACC power Duke against Tom Izzo and Michigan State. The perfect appetizer for the Wisconsin-Kentucky entrée ended without a surprise. No. 1-seed Duke grabbed a relatively easy Final Four victory over the No. 7-seeded Spartans 81-61.
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Duke got off to a slow start, falling behind 14-6 early. They decided to go with an interesting defensive strategy in the first five minutes where they stood still and watched as Denzel Valentine knocked down three three-pointers. That strategy was about as effective as you’d think it would be. Unfortunately for Tom Izzo, that trend would not continue.
The Blue Devils would not be deterred, getting themselves together to hold a 36-25 lead, thanks to focused defense and Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow doing what they do.
Michigan State’s big man rotation that consists of Matt Costello and Gavin Schilling is not capable of guarding Duke center Jahlil Okafor. It’s like asking a chain-link fence to stop an 18-wheeler. It’s just not possible. Both players collected two fouls in the first half, and Okafor finished the half with 10 points on 4-for-6 from the floor.
Hoops Habit’s college hoops Guru Nathan Giese perfectly summed up Okafor’s dominance with this well timed tweet.
If Okafor has the inside position on you, you either let it go and move on or hack him like there's not tomorrow. Not that
— Nathan Giese (@NathanGiese) April 4, 2015
March’s newest superstar, Justise Winslow, provided seven points, five rebounds, one assist, and a steal. Duke’s aggressiveness paid off in the form of a 12-for-16 effort from the free-throw line. They attacked the rim often, with Justise Winslow, Jahlil Okafor, and Grayson Allen each reaching the charity stripe three times or more.
Valentine’s early barrage of three-pointers would be the extent of his first half scoring from the field, he would finish with 11 points in the half and Michigan State would shoot a dismal 29.6 percent from the floor.
The Spartans never really had a prayer in the second half. Duke would continue to dominate, their lead never dipping below 11 points. Okafor would finish his evening with 18 points and six rebounds while Winslow would lead Duke with 19 points on 5-for-7 shooting.
Senior guard Quinn Cook exploded in the second half, ending the game with 17 points, 12 of which came in the second half. After losing in the second round of NCAA tournament twice in his career, to Mercer and Lehigh, Cook finally gets a chance to exorcise those demons on the biggest stage.
Duke’s potent offense was on full display Saturday night. They shot 52 percent from the field and 27-for-37 from the free-throw line in the dominating win.
Michigan State’s shooting picked up in the second half, and Valentine would score 22 points (5-for-9 from deep) to lead the Spartans while Travis Trice finished with 16 points. However, they did not have enough firepower to keep up with Duke.
At the end of the day, Duke is where they expected to be at the beginning of the season. Their crew of highly touted freshman have led them to the promised land and now only one more obstacle stands in the way in of hanging banner number five in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Cincy on the Prowl
Next up on the docket is a national championship meeting with Wisconsin, a rematch from December in which Duke came out on top. Bo Ryan vs. Mike Krzyzewski. Frank Kaminsky vs. Jahlil Okafor. Two extremely efficient offenses that are a joy to watch. This game has everything. Unless you hate college basketball or you are a North Carolina fan.
Despite the absence of an undefeated Kentucky squad, this game is exactly what college basketball deserves. A perfect end to a fun season. Narratives are running amok among the media and Geno Auriemma is chastising the college game for its “unwatchability.” Duke and Wisconsin have the chance to squash that narrative and remind people that college basketball is not broken. Monday night will be a clash of titans.
Respected programs featuring a bevy of NBA prospects playing for all the marbles. What could be better than that?
If you think that is “unwatchable,” then you just don’t like sports.
Next: 2015 NBA Draft: Top 10 Prospects in the Final Four
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