Duke and Wisconsin have evolved considerably from a December contest that the Blue Devils won 80-70 in Madison. Now both teams will face off with considerably higher stakes in the NCAA title game.
Duke vs. Wisconsin 2015 live stream: How to watch NCAA basketball championship online
Wisconsin topped undefeated Kentucky and will now face Duke in the NCAA title game.
The Badgers had the eyes of the nation upon them when they took down previously undefeated Kentucky 71-64 on Saturday, never letting up against a historically good Wildcats team. Even against the nation's best defense, Wisconsin was still able to score. Frank Kaminsky led the way with 20 points, Sam Dekker notched 17 and the Badgers shot 48 percent for the game.
Now they face Duke, which doesn't have the depth or raw athleticism but plays a similar brand of defense. Even though Kentucky failed to stop -- or really, even slow down -- Wisconsin, the Blue Devils can and will need to find a way to disrupt an offense that may be the best ever. With Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow in the frontcourt, they clearly are capable of it.
They will also have to score, too. On Saturday, they did a good job of it running over Michigan State while shooting 52 percent from the field. Quinn Cook, the experienced senior of the team, had an excellent game, scoring 17 points after subpar performances in the previous two tournament games.
Even so, Duke likely won’t be able to match Wisconsin’s offensive power shot for shot. A few made three-pointers will help alleviate that issue, so the Blue Devils will likely need a better performance shooting behind the arc than Saturday’s 2-of-10 outing.
For Wisconsin, the momentum and support is clearly on its side. If they play exactly like they did against Kentucky, the Badgers should beat Duke on Monday, but it’s not nearly that simple. Duke’s defense will give them different looks. They won’t guard Kaminsky in the same way, and his ability to recognize and adjust to the schemes the Blue Devils have in mind to slow him down is crucial to Wisconsin’s success.
In their game earlier this season, Kaminsky scored 17 points on 5-of-12 shooting and Wisconsin shot just 41 percent (while Duke hit 65 percent). That was four months ago and both teams have grown since, but that game shows one potential outcome for Monday.
Here’s how to watch:
Time: 9:18 p.m. ET on CBS
Place: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
Online: March Madness On Demand
Odds: Wisconsin -1, O/U 140
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