Duke Wins NCAA Tourney Title

Duke’s Jahlil Okafor (15) is fouled by Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky (44) during the NCAA college basketball tournament championship game Monday in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Call them freshmen, but do not call them kids. Led by Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor, Duke’s talented group of youngsters played like salty old pros down the stretch, outscoring Wisconsin by 14 points the final 13 minutes Monday night to grit out a 68-63 victory for the program’s fifth NCAA men’s national basketball championship. Okafor, the likely first pick in the NBA draft if he decides to leave, got outplayed by Badgers center Frank Kaminsky most of the night but came through like a veteran when the pressure was highest. The 6-foot-11 freshman made two straight buckets over Kaminsky, sandwiched between a pair of 3-pointers from Jones, to help the Blue Devils (35-4) turn a one-time nine-point deficit into an eight-point lead with 1:22 left/ Associated Press. More here.

Question: So does this mean that the Zags may be even better than you think they were?