Duke's title is topper on a night for the ages
INDIANAPOLIS -- After the confetti had fallen and Duke had cut the nets and all the questions had been asked and answered and Gordon Hayward had discussed both of his potential game-winning shots over and over again, the Butler sophomore who nearly sank the biggest heave in college basketball history got dressed, grabbed his stuff and made the walk to the team bus.
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| 'I still can't believe we're national champs,' Mike Krzyzewski says. (US Presswire) |
"Just a little long."
Duke won its fourth national championship under Mike Krzyzewski late Monday courtesy of a 61-59 classic that will be remembered as a game that did the impossible: It somehow matched the hype. Sure, everybody loved the story of big bad Duke against the Horizon League players who spent the morning of the biggest day of their lives in a classroom like normal college students, but how many really thought it would be a great contest? At some point, most figured, Duke would turn into Duke and Butler would remember it had a roster of three-star prospects, one of whom was dealing with a mild concussion. At some point, most figured, the out-manned and undersized Bulldogs would be overwhelmed by Duke's three guards, let things get away from them, take a runners-up trophy and head back six miles to campus not necessarily happy but appreciative of the moment.
There were many times when things seemed headed that direction.
When Ronald Nored picked up a second early foul was one.
When Matt Howard missed a third layup was another.
But then Avery Jukes would sink an open jumper or Shelvin Mack would slice through the lane for a layup, and a game that often seemed on the verge of slipping away would suddenly be tight again. Butler just kept hanging around, never trailing by more than six. It all led to an incredible moment here at this downtown dome when, with 13.6 seconds remaining and the game paused for a timeout, Brad Stevens, the 33-year-old future star whose stardom is now present, diagrammed a play for Hayward to get the ball at the top of the key while 70,930 fans yelled and clapped and chanted, mostly for a Butler team that was behind 60-59.
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| Butler vs. Duke |
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Recap: Duke 61, Butler 59 Doyel: Butler wins war for memories Freeman: Hayward's shot was so close
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Champions | Outstanding players |
Dennis Dodd
It was a moment that looked and felt special.
Regardless of what happened from that point forward, the game was an all-timer.
"There's still a lot of possessions left in 13 seconds," Mack later said he thought in that huddle, and he was right. There were three possessions left, to be exact, the first and third being two of the most excruciating to watch for fans on both sides. The first possession finished with Hayward trying to go left but being pushed right and into a fadeaway jumper from the baseline that had to be arched over the outstretched arm of Duke's 7-foot-1 center Brian Zoubek. The shot was, as Hayward later described it, "just a little long." The ball bounced off the far side of the rim and back into the hands of Zoubek, who was fouled with 3.6 seconds remaining. He made the first free throw, then missed the second on purpose so that Butler would be forced to rebound and scramble rather than be allowed to run a set play that could lead to a high-percentage 3-pointer.
And that was the second possession of the final 13 seconds.
The third possession began when Howard grabbed Zoubek's miss and dribbled up the right side of the court. He used a devastating ball-screen provided by Howard that freed him from Kyle Singler, then launched a shot just before the final horn sounded. If the ball fell through the net, Butler would win. If not, Duke would win. So every eye in the stadium followed that ball's path, including the eyes of Singler, who watched from the ground while rocked from that screen.
"When I got screened I kind of twisted the right way to see the ball," Singler said. "So I saw the ball bounce off the backboard and hit the rim. You know, it looked good. ... It was just one of those things where you're wishing, hoping that it won't go in."
Wish granted.
The shot did not go in.
It was just a little long, exactly like Hayward's previous attempt was just a little long. So Butler lost for the first time since Dec. 22, Duke won a title for the first time since 2001, and Krzyzewski passed Bob Knight and moved into a tie with Adolph Rupp on the list of all-time championships for coaches. The Blue Devils celebrated appropriately, like deserving champions.
They started the season as a team described as flawed because they had just three guards -- one of whom, Andre Dawkins, was a high school junior last season -- and ended the season talking to CBS Sports' Jim Nantz on a stage while One Shining Moment played on giant screens above them. Most of the players laughed, some of them cried, all of them did something, together, that few thought was possible back in November. Or even March, for that matter.
"It still hasn't sunk in," Krzyzewski said. "I still can't believe we're national champs."
Meantime, the Butler players sat in the locker room in near silence.
They spoke only when spoken to.
"It was an honor to play in that game," Hayward said. "But I hate losing. It sucks losing."
It was a few minutes after Hayward provided that quote when he got dressed, grabbed his stuff and made the walk to the team bus. He seemed neither depressed nor cheerful. He was just walking. But then he reached a point in the hallway where he could look to his left and see the court on which this epic title game was just played. So he looked to his left and, without stopping, mumbled four words before leaving Lucas Oil Stadium.
"Just a little long."
So Butler fell just a little short.
