ST. PETERSBURG – It has been a breathtaking season, one with dramatic conclusions, such as Duke’s overtime win against St. John’s in the Garden; stunning upsets, such as Weber State’s first-round elimination of North Carolina; and titanic battles, such as Michigan State’s come-from-behind dethroning of former national champion Kentucky in the Midwest Regional final.
The final chapter in this epic season of college basketball will be penned tonight when the powerhouse that is No. 1-ranked Duke confronts a spontaneous Connecticut squad, ranked 3rd, in the national championship game in Tropicana field.
The Blue Devils (37-1) and Huskies (33-2) are the only schools to hold the No. 1 ranking throughout the season. Tonight’s title game marks the first time in 20 years that two teams ranked in the Top 3 will play for the right to wear a championship ring.
Duke’s lone loss was a two-point defeat at the hands of Cincinnati in the sixth game of the season. The Blue Devils have since won a school record 32 straight. One of UConn’s two defeats deserves an asterisk because injured starters Richard Hamilton and Jake Voskuhl missed the 59-42 loss to Syracuse. Connecticut’s 33 wins is a school record.
How we yearn for a title game that will do this season justice. Unfortunately, don’t count on it happening.
Duke simply is too good, too big, too deep, and too familiar with these pressure packed showdowns for the Huskies to handle. Duke is the Yankees in blue. If it’s still a game at halftime we should rejoice.
“I don’t think Connecticut has the size to dominate the game,” said former UCLA and NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar told the Post. “Duke will dominate the game. They’re bigger at every position; bigger and athletic.”
Duke’s dominance starts with center Elton Brand of Peekskill, the Player of the Year who manhandled Michigan State Saturday night by scoring 18 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. The 6-foot-8, 260-pound center punishes opposing centers with his body and was the difference in a 68-62 win.
“He seems to really try to bully people with that move, that’s his move,” said Voskuhl, Connecticut’s center. “No one’s seemed to stop it yet so he goes with what works. It’s hard to defend something like that. You could try to take a charge but with his footwork and his control of his body, you can’t really do that. If you fall down, he stops and shoots a layup.”
If Duke brings its A game, it could be the most lopsided championship game since 1992 when Duke beat Michigan 71-51. The Huskies like to run but if they do so they’ll play right into the hands of Duke point guard William Avery and the Blue Devils. If UConn tries to make it a halfcourt game, Duke’s size and depth could pulverize the Huskies.
In addition to Brand and the 6-8 Shane Battier, the 1997 national high school player of the year, Duke can bring 6-10 center Chris Burgess and 6-6 forward Chris Carrawell into the fray. And the most talented player on the Blue Devils – freshman Corey Maggette, a 6-6 Grant Hill clone – leads the charge off the bench.
“Duke is a prohibitive favorite for a reason,” said former Indiana star Quinn Buckner. “They’re so deep, talented, and mentally tough that the other team has to play at a level it’s never played at just to stay in it. One lapse is all Duke needs. Clearly they’re one of the best teams ever. Their best player comes off the bench and he’s a freshman. Maggette is Duke’s most talented player, bar none.”
It’s hard to find a light at the end of the tunnel – one that isn’t on the front of a Duke train – to bolster support for the Huskies.
The Huskies often are at the best when thrust into the role of underdog. They gave North Carolina all it could handle last year in the East Regional final in Greensboro. And they won at Stanford with their best player – Richard Hamilton – in street clothes.
“We have been brilliant at times,” said Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun. “We have been pragmatic at times. We’ve survived at times.”
When asked if Connecticut could find a way through, Abdul Jabbar shook his head. A Connecticut win would be an upset on the level of Loyola of Chicago over Oscar Robertson’s 1963 Cincinnati team or Villanova over Patrick Ewing’s 1985 Georgetown team.
“Very few teams have been afforded the opportunity to have the kind of season Duke has had,” said Calhoun. “Be that as it may, the game comes down to 40 minutes [tonight], not what some folks think it should be, could be, would be.”
We’re hoping it’s still a game after 20 minutes. This season deserves that.
