On Monday night, the 2014-15 college basketball season wrapped up with one of the best National Championship games of the last few years with a showdown between Duke and Wisconsin. Ultimately, the Blue Devils came out on top, but not before hosting a back and forth battle with the Badgers.
Coach K and the Dukies will hoist the trophy, but what can we takeaway from the game?
[Read more after the break.]
Takeaways From Duke vs. Wisconsin
1. This Wisconsin Team Was Special
Yes, the Badgers lost their game on Monday. Yes, seniors Josh Gasser and Frank Kaminsky will be graduating from Wisconsin the fall. And of course, this very well could have been the most loaded roster Wisconsin will see in the near future. Still, all that aside, this was one heck of a group. Sure, they were unable to pull off the title, but think about this. Since Frank Kaminsky joined Wisconsin's roster in 2011, the Badgers have a combined 115-34 record including four appearances in the NCAA Tournament, two Final Four appearances, a Big Ten regular season title, and a Big Ten Tournament title. This group has brought the Badgers a ton of success and though they weren't able to get the school the biggest crown, they sure did a hell of a lot and deserve credit for it.
2. Sam Dekker Ran Out of Gas
There's no doubt that Wisconsin's 2014-15 started and ended with Frank Kaminsky. Having said that, his second in command for most of the season was Sam Dekker. In the NCAA Tournament, Dekker raised his game to a different level and put together some of the best games of his career. He had 23 points and a 160 offensive rating against North Carolina and had an absurd 173 offensive rating against Arizona, who boasted the #3 efficient defense in the country according to KenPom. Even though he cooled off a tad against Kentucky, he still hit some major shots including what most consider the game-ending dagger. Unfortunately for Wisconsin, he was inconsistent on Monday and though he had one of the more favorable matchups for the Badgers against Duke's Justise Winslow, he came up with just 12 points, went 0-6 from 3PT range, and had just 8 rebounds. On a typical night, that would be alright, but in the National Championship game, the Badgers needed more and he simply could not keep his incredible run going against Duke.
3. Duke's Role Players Came Up Big
The key player for Duke on Monday night was Tyus Jones, but don't overlook the contributors of his teammates. Though Quinn Cook, Tyus Jones, and Jahlil Okafor get the majority of the attention, it was the role players that allowed Duke to get the win on Monday night. Primarily, the play of Grayson Allen and Amile Jefferson was huge. Allen got solid opportunities in transition, was able to get to the free throw line, and even grabbed a few rebounds. Allen's 16 points on attempts was huge, especially considering a good hunk of them came in the 2nd Half. Jefferson also had major contributors despite only scoring 2 points. When Okafor got into foul trouble, he stepped up and did a great job guarding Frank Kaminsky down low. It seemed unlikely he would be able to hold up against the National Player of the Year, but he held his own and managed to grab 7 rebounds as well. Allen and Jefferson did not win the game for Duke, but they certainly did quite a bit to help.
Overall
It was a great game on Monday night and though the Big Ten was unable to secure its first national championship since 2000, it was still a great season for the conference and particularly, the Wisconsin Badgers, who made their second Final Four in a row. There will be a ton of movement in the offseason, but it was one heck of a ride in 2014-15.
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